Mayfield Rugby League

12/04/2008 Mayfield 29 Oulton Raiders 10

12/04/2008 Mayfield 29 Oulton Raiders 10

By “Mad Mal The Mauler”

Last game of the regular season saw Oulton Raiders as the visitors. The ground showed the ravages of the last few days rain, but the endeavours of the ground staff Paul and Rod made it at least playable though sticky underfoot. A very cold wind blowing west to east along with the wet conditions made handling a little difficult for both sides!

Within two minutes of the kick off Oulton No1 Scott McDonald found a huge gap on Mayfield’s left and skipped through for the first score of the game in the corner. No 13 Danny Stanley stepped up to convert a great kick from way out on the touchline. 0 – 6 The die was cast by Oulton who showed they were here to compete!

With only 5 minutes on the clock Paul Rolls tried the first of many intelligent kicks to wrong foot the Raiders defence, but McDonald was alert enough to bundle Mayfield into touch.

In the 10th minutes Oulton were unlucky not to register another score with a cross field kick into the right corner almost catching out the Mayfield defence with the attacking Raider to be bundled off the ball in goal, unfairly, in the opinion of the referee Mr Grundy resulting in a penalty 10 metres out which came to nothing when the ball was spilled once more!

The arm wrestle continued back and forth with no real threat for the next 10 minutes, but after a series of passes Oulton had Mayfield at sixes and sevens until Raider No4 was grounded up a couple of metres short on the last!

A penalty on for a high shot saw Neil Ramsden come up a metre short on the last. On the 27th minute with Mayfield getting up field to the Oulton 40 a speculative cross field kick by Pete Draper to the right found Paul Rolls quickest to react and run round for Mayfield’s first score. Mike Kaufman easily slotted over the conversion to even up the score 6 – 6.

33 minutes saw a yellow card for Oulton No8 Lee Williamson for a high tackle which Mr Grundy had indicated to their captain for several previous warnings.

With the numbers in Mayfield’s favour 36 minutes found Grant Bithel on the 10 metre line at the play the ball scrambling from dummy half to catch out the Raiders defence napping to score at the side of the upright. Mike again slotted over to gain the advantage 12 – 6.

Right on the stroke of half time Oulton’s No5 Chris Dunhill slotted through a deft kick into open space with a couple of Raiders in pursuit only for Komah Naumatua to get there first, although he knocked on and re-gathered there wasn’t enough time to form the scrum and the half time whistle sounded!

The second half started much as the first had with Mayfield knocking on from the kick off turning over possession.

45 minutes saw the dangerous Oulton No10 Danny Burton just held 2 metres out on the last!

Mayfield worked their way towards the halfway line and a spirited break from No16 Simon Moore took the attack to Oulton’s 20, a quick ball out to the left took ‘Field to a couple of metres out and Steve Wood took advantage with a sneak to touch down from the play the ball. Kaufman again sure with the boot added the extras 18 – 6.

Outon then upped their game and put Mayfield under tremendous pressure with three consecutive sets only to break down with a knock on just short! A let off for sure!

On 55 minutes Mayfield were awarded another penalty for yet another high one and Rolls hoofed the ball to the Outlton 40, in the ensuing attack Mike Kaufman crossed the whitewash only to be held up in goal.

57 minutes with Mayfield again pressing, passes went from right to left and the final pass from Pete Draper was knocked down by a Raiders hand and into touch, with a Mayfield overlap and the line begging. However after the scrum and a couple of passes Pete Draper engineered a bit of Aussie magic with a chip over from 10 out and followed up to ground his own ball under the sticks. Terrific stuff! Kaufy again adding the two 24 – 6. Mayfield were now totally in control!

From the restart Mayfield took the ball forward on the left and on 61 minutes Paul Rolls put in a delicate chip for Grant Bithel to race onto for a beaut of a try! The conversion by Kaufman seemed to get caught in the cross wind to steer wide of the upright 28 – 6.

From the restart Oulton’s No6 Andy Williamson tried a short kick off and was unlucky to knock on trying to re-gather his own kick. From the scrum another kick through by Rolls almost caught the Raiders out when McDonald just beat Carl Abraham to the bobbling egg for what would have been a deffo try!

On regaining possession in the Oulton half and on the last play the cool Paul Rolls slotted over a peach of a drop goal 29 – 6.

Oulton didn’t know when they were beaten when on 75 minutes a passage of play saw the ball passed too many times to count back and forth along their line of attack culminating in No7 Alan White walking in through a huge gap on the right for a well deserved consolation try. He couldn’t however improve on his own score from wide. 29 – 10

With only a minute or so to go and Oulton pressing the Mayfield line Grant Bithel intercepted a pass to race off toward the Raiders half, but a rather cynical stiff arm from McDonald felled him on the halfway and with only seconds remaining perhaps Mr Grundy opted not to show him some kind of card, just a few words? Seconds later he’d seen enough and brought proceedings to a halt.

A good result for the last regular game of the season and with several of the first team rested the lads that took up the cudgel in their place didn’t let anyone down! On the down side it has to be said that the tackling and some of the passing in the first half left something to be desired! However when the Mayfield line was threatened the lads resolutely kept the Raiders out, which is what matters!

Next week against Leigh we will have to be at our best as they are still smarting from their defeat by Mayfield last time out!

Mayfield M.o.t.M. was Paul Rolls
Oulton Raiders M.o.t.M. was Scott McDonald