Drama as Smith’s big kick seals it
FYLDE picked up a massive victory at the Woodlands to down high-flying Sheffield by a single point.
The home side led 10-5 at the break before the visitors bounced back in lightning quick fashion, with Chris Hooper scoring a three minute double.
Fylde replied with a Ben Turner try before Greg Smith stole the show with a massive 40metre penalty to edge the game in the hosts favour.
The league’s top tryscorer, Elliot Fisher, opened the scoring for the visitors in the 15th minute when Will Smith broke a tackle on halfway to run clear of the Fylde defence before feeding Fisher to finish.
Fylde hit back straight away through flanker Valu-Tane Bentley, who dived in in the corner after Adam Lanigan had made the initial break to set up the chance.
Smith then stepped up in the 27th minute to extend Fylde’s lead with a penalty in front of the posts, which gave them a five-point lead at the break.
Sheffield were quickly out of the blocks in the second-half, scoring two quick tries through winger Hooper, who finished off two fast breaks,
after Fylde had the ball turned over inside their own 22.
Fylde thought they had got their second try of the afternoon in the 58th minute when Jordan Dorrington was given the ball out wide but the last defender for Sheffield did brilliantly to tackle him into touch.
They didn’t have to wait long for their second try, though, as Turner raced in moments later before Smith added the extras to cut Sheffield’s lead to two points.
Smith and Fisher traded penalty kicks before Smith nailed a penalty from just past halfway to put Fylde ahead by one point.
However, Fylde’s No10 was shown a yellow card in the dying embers of the match but the hosts held out to pick up a massive home victory.
Joint head coach Chris Briers was pleased with
the character shown by his side to beat form team Sheffield, who had only lost once in their previous 12 outings.
He said: “It wasn’t our best match in terms of the rugby we played, but it certainly was in the character we showed in the game.
“The grit, determination and the defence to keep them out was certainly up there with the best sort of heart and desire that we’ve seen this season.
“We always trust what we can do in our attack.
“But this week it was more the defence that won the game for us rather than the attack.”
The win leaves Fylde fifth in the League 2 North table, ten points behind their third-placed opponents.
REFEREE: James O’Brien
ATTENDANCE: 468 Star man
Olli Parkinson (Fylde)