Mayfield Rugby League

24/11/2007 Eastmoor Dragons 20 Mayfield 32

24/11/2007 Eastmoor Dragons 20 Mayfield 32

By “Mad Mal The Mauler”

On another typical Yorkshire Saturday the weather was, to say the least, not the best for playing expansive rugby league. It was bitterly cold and threatening rain for the duration of this game!

After initial probes by Mayfield the first score came on five minutes with Mike Kaufman going in wide on the right and then converting his own touchdown. On 10 minutes a penalty for a dubious knock on almost led to a Dragons touchdown when they put in a pinpoint grubber only to be thwarted Jon Petty getting to the ball before the onrushing Dragon players.

On 20 minutes hard running Jonathon Muir smashed his way over after a cross field movement that had the Dragons clutching at air, Mike Kaufman slotting over for the two from out wide!

The try of the day came on 25 minutes with Man-of-the-Match Komah (Ben) Naumatau collecting the ball on the halfway line and jinking his way through desperate clutching tackles in an electric diagonal run finishing off with an exuberant high dive over the line to celebrate! Mike missed from yet another wide attempt.

Next up was that man again Jon Petty to put the ball down for his second try of the day, again out wide though resulting in another missed two points.

Eastmoor finally scrambled the ball out wide to gain their first points of the game on 30 minutes with a couple of the Mayfield defence out of position. The kick was duly missed.

With my watch some 4 minutes past what should have been half time the Dragons forced their way over on the right again with some defending that lacked effort, the attempted conversion just passing the outside of the far post, ending the half with the score at 8 – 20.

With the wind now at Mayfield’s back the next try came through Steve Wood doing what he has been doing all season and steaming through at full pace after a lovely set of cross field passes on 50 minutes to plonk it down some five metres in from the touchline leading to another missed conversion.

On 54 minutes with some soft defending Mayfield let in the Dragons for another, but unconverted try giving the home side a ‘light-in-the-window’. Then followed a string of penalties against Mayfield, some warranted and some mystical decisions that only Mystic Meg could only have dreamed up, but having withstood the Dragons onslaught Mike Kaufman broke through their defence and a beautiful off-load to that man again, Jon Petty to post his hat trick. Unfortunately again it was in the corner and Mike couldn’t capitalise for the two!

Danny Chrimes bagged himself a try by bullocking his way through a tiring Dragons defence and once again the attempt to convert went wide!

Again as in the first half the ref’s ‘Mickey Mouse’ watch didn’t seem to read the same time as everyone else watching the game and some 6 or 7 minutes past what was generally accepted as full time the dragons put up a ‘Hail Mary’ kick which ended with a bounce that fell fortuously in front of a grateful Eastmoor player who finished the scoring for the day with another unconverted try. Not a day for the kickers and like I said last week in closer contests it could cost Mayfield dear unless this is addressed?

Final score Eastmoor Dragons 20 Mayfield 32

It would be easy to say Mayfield should have beaten teams like Eastmoor and last weeks opponents West Bowling more convincingly, but these are the sides that are fighting to avoid the drop and are probably the more dangerous as the season goes on! On the whole the Mayfield lads played well with none having anything like a bad performance, well done to all the team, a better than top six berth at the end of the season looks a knocking bet!

With one or two shock results going in favour of Mayfield today with Siddal losing 9 – 10 at home to Oulton Raiders and West Bowling beating Wigan St Pats 29 – 0, Hull Dockers gave Leigh East a thrashing 33 – 6 and more threatening next weeks opponents, on-form Cas Panthers giving West Hull a towelling 44 – 16 . Things are hotting up, so get up to Castleton Sports Centre next Saturday and give Mayfield your support as it is the proverbial “4 pointer” a must-win game!