Rugby League: Thatto Heath 6 – 70 Mayfield

Photo: Aidy Gleeson

Jack Sampson star man at Thatto

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Mayfield thrashed a Thatto Heath side they had expected would be their toughest game of the season so far.

With playmaker Paul Brearley, star forward Callum Marriott, Si Moore, Nick Hargreaves, Callum Ogden and Seta Tala all missing, Mayfield pulled out all the stops to comprehensively beat a quality side who have been on top form this season with only two defeats out of eleven starts.

Thatto started strongly scoring the first try.

The Mayfield defence restricted Thatto to one score in the first ten minutes, snuffing out all but the one scoring opportunity.

Slowly Mayfield forced themselves into the game due in no small part to the defence of Liam Whalley, James Connaughton and Zac Baker.

Building on this defence old heads Sam Butterworth and Chris Hough steadied the ship and Mayfield began to take some control of the game.

Jack Sampson capitalised to force his way over in the corner. The conversion was too difficult for Hough.

The two sides battled for supremacy with Mayfield just edging the battle until a cynical foul on livewire Dec Sheridan caused Sean Watkins to see red as he rushed to protect him.

An all-out battle ensued which saw the instigator dismissed along with a team mate and Watkins from Mayfield.

With Thatto down to eleven men, there was always going to be space for this exciting Mayfield side to exploit, and exploit it they did as they put on their finest display of the season.

Butterworth and Hough used all their experience to guide their side and they responded brilliantly with man-of-the-match Dec Sheridan, Lewis Sheridan and Aidan Gleeson scoring before the break, Hough converted all three to give Mayfield a 6 – 22 lead.

Even at this stage there was no indication of things to come but Mayfield suddenly clicked into gear and everything they did went right for them as they ran in forty eight unanswered second half points.

Sampson, Gleeson, the Sheridans, Hough and Lewis Ainley all added to the tally as the points mounted up leaving the Thatto Heath scoreboard operator the hardest worked member of their team.

Hough and Lewis Sheridan shared the kicking duties with eleven conversions between them.

Despite the scoreline Mayfield still had to work hard to lay the platform to secure this victory.

Zac Baker Andy Taylor and Guillerme Gee Souza played well Lewis Ainley and Lewis Butterworth impressed, but for sheer quality it was hard to see past the Sheridan brothers who were magnificent with Declan taking the man-of-the-match despite Jack Sampson having claimed his five tries.