Rochdale Mayfield 16
Saddleworth 6
HUNGER for victory is often cited by coaches as a quality they are looking for in their players.
And, at Castleton Sports Centre on Saturday afternoon, Rochdale Mayfield showed just that in spades to beat league leaders Saddleworth.
From start to finish, the hosts hunted down their opponents with doughty defence, tough tackling and a never-say-die attitude the visitors could not match. By the end, the confident Oldham outfit looked a shadow of a team sitting at the top of the table, the resistance having been knocked out of them by the home team.
Going forward, too, Mayfield’s forwards showed heart and commitment. No one epitomised this more than local lad Ben Simpson whose barnstorming runs were a thorn in the Saddleworth side throughout the match. He seems to be enjoying a new lease of life and enjoying his rugby.
This, though, was no one-man show. He was well supported by Ben Coombes, Andrew Moroney, Aiden Gleeson and the remainder of the pack, who dominated their opposite numbers in the second half and provided the platform for victory.
Behind them Australian scrum half Eamon Hillen prompted the threequarter line and launched a series of withering kicks to put the visitors on the back foot. But, as with the pack, all the back line played their part, never taking a backward step and tackling like demons to keep Saddleworth pinned in their own half. You could count on the fingers of one hand the number of attacking forays the visitors made in the second half.
Mayfield made the perfect start when Hillen seized on a loose ball in the first minute to scamper 40 yards to score.
It was then nip and tuck as both teams sought to establish supremacy. The hosts looked to have things under control until they conceded two penalties in close succession. Saddleworth took full advantage as Emerson Jackman’s superb short pass sent Paul Ashton in for a try. Michael Coates converted.
It then became a war of attrition as the teams tried to soften one another up; Moroney and Jason Best sent to the sin bin after a contretemps.
Saddleworth enjoyed their best spell of the match but Mayfield’s well-drilled defence was unyielding and they made little headway.
Mayfield broke out and were unlucky not to score when Joe Robinson’s kick for the corner struck the flag with Rob Kershaw waiting to pounce. The hosts went into the break trailing by two points but with everything to play for.
The second half started as the first with an early Mayfield try.
Tremendous approach play by the forwards saw the ball whipped wide, where fullback Komah Namunatua wrong-footed the defence to dive in for a try. Hillen slotted over a fine touchline conversion.
It was the lift the home team needed and they took control. Booming runs from the forwards, neat kicks from Hillen and enthusiastic tackling by Lee Atkinson had Saddleworth reeling and unable to find an answer to a resurgent Mayfield team.
Hillen missed a penalty, but made amends two minutes later when Saddleworth were again caught lying on in a desperate effort to contain the rampant hosts. This time Hillen made no mistake.
With just six points separating the teams the home fans were unable to relax when Mayfield knocked on in their own 22 – one of their rare mistakes. Once again, the defence held firm, a crunching tackle from Wayne Jopson, knocking the ball out of the recipient’s grasp, confirming the home team’s desire.
With six minutes to go, the Saddleworth defence resembled a bowling alley as Simpson’s bulldozing run sent would-be tacklers toppling. The big prop was eventually stopped but a quick play the ball, a dummy, and step by John Foy and a slick pass to Gleeson saw him, despite the attentions of three defenders, twist his way over the line for a try.
It was the final nail in the Saddleworth coffin and there was no way back for the visitors.
There was just time for Namanatua and Danny Earley to be shown the yellow card for a bout of fisticuffs, before the whistle sounded on a famous victory.
Mayfield celebrated in style. It is a great achievement to beat the league leaders and even more satisfying against local rivals in a derby.
Coaches Sam Butterworth and Tony Appleyard won’t be getting carried away. This is the beginning, not the end. The improvement shown in recent weeks has been fantastic, but they will know that there’s a lot more hard work and hard games ahead.
MAYFIELD: Namanatua, Kershaw, Wood, Robinson, Lane, Brearley, Hillen, Brett, O’Brien, Coombes, Moroney, Jopson, Butterworth, Foy, Atkinson, Gleeson, Simpson.