Rugby league: Castleford Lock Lane 52 - 20 Mayfield

The wheels came off the Mayfield bus at Lock Lane on Saturday 17 June resulting in a heavy defeat for the Premier Divisions form club.

With eight players unavailable for various reasons, Mayfield still managed to field a team which on paper looked like a side good enough to at least compete. The home side though had other ideas and after hearing about the visitors situation opened their game in a fast and aggressive style.

They caught Mayfield cold and with only two minutes gone were on the board when a loose pass was intercepted by the Lock Lane winger who showed lightening pace as he tore up the metres to score under the sticks, conversion added, 6 - 0.

Mayfield reacted well and came at Lock Lane but a forward pass on tackle two gave away cheap and easy possession and position. Three tackles later Lane were celebrating their second try, 10 - 0.

Mayfield just hadn't got off the coach yet and the home side were punishing them at every turn. With just 17 minutes on the clock they had conceded two more tries, 22 - 0, and the game was won.

There were glimpses of what Mayfield were capable of and a sharp pass from Sean Penkywicz at half back saw Wayne English evade his opposite number for his side's opening try, 22 - 4.

English was involved in the next try as his interception saw him sprint 50 metres upfield, Mayfield picked up and Dec Sheridan and Callum Ogden were working the ball well. Penkywicz stepped in again and provided a good pass to Seta Tala who crashed over from close range, 22 - 8.

Reminiscent of last week though, Mayfield coughed up possession from the restart and Lock Lane were over the line again on the second tackle, 28 - 8.

Mayfield should have had another try as James McDaid powered over but was held up by a brilliant tackle. There were no further scores in the first half, 28 - 8.

A poor restart and a couple of uncharacteristic penalties from Lock Lane saw Mayfield on their line and a nifty set play from Sheridan saw Joe Taira force his way past four defenders to touch down, Parr converted, 28 - 14.

Strong drives from Nick Hargreaves, Taira and Jimmy McNaughton were keeping Mayfield in the game and they were unlucky not to get another try in this period. The quick play balls from Lock Lane caught Mayfield out and it was the home side who got the next score as they broke from their own half, 34 - 14.

The hosts just had too much for Mayfield and within minutes had punished them for another loose pass, 40 - 14.

Mayfield once again showed a glimpse of what they have been this season when Cole Connolly's perfectly timed pass saw McDaid burst through the gap and make the line from 20 metres out, Parr converted, 40 - 20.

With ten minutes to go the home winger scored his second full lengther after intercepting another lose pass, 46 - 20.

Within minutes they had made up the 50 point mark with a poorly defended try, the conversion made it 52 - 20.

That concluded the scoring and thankfully the game was done. This was a bad day at the office for Mayfield but as said, with eight players missing it was always going to be an uphill battle. Coaches Sam Butterworth and Steve Wood were unanimous in their opinion that this was a game to put behind them and they will do that and look forward to next week at Wigan St Patricks.