Rugby League: Kells 18 - 20 Mayfield

Photo: Aidy Gleeson

Wayne English: Kells 18 - 20 Mayfield

Late team changes and suspensions meant Matt Calland and Sam Butterworth had to draft in some of the NWML side for the long trip to Cumbria to face Kells, and Mayfield came away with a hard fought win.

When the team arrived one of the Kells supporters was heard to comment 'is this the team it looks like a school trip'. He was left regretting his words as this young Mayfield side showed a fantastic team spirit and an equal measure of determination.

Although the youngsters earned the plaudits it was the experienced campaigner Wayne English who showed the way forward as he helped himself to two tries.

The team was made to work hard by a solid Kells team and things were made harder when they lost Si Moore and Jimmy Connaughton early on with injuries.

This meant the other forwards had to work extra hard and they all stepped up to the plate willing to work for one another and eager to take the ball forward.

Aidy Gleeson, who normally comes on as an impact player, played the full eighty minutes and caused problems all afternoon for the Kells defence.

In defence for Mayfield, Luke Foden was like a man possessed as he tackled everything that moved and finished at the top of the tackle count by a mile.

It was another youngster Matty Chrimes who produced a piece of magic that lifted his side and gave them the confidence to pull through.

With the game on a knife edge Chrimes picked up a loose ball in his own half and out of nothing evaded the defenders and sprinted 60 metres to score a converted try.

The game finished 18 - 20 in Mayfield’s favour and Chrimes' try was picked out as the game breaker by Sam Butterworth, who said: “The game could have gone either way at that point but when Matty picked up that ball we knew he would score that’s the player he is.

“The try lifted the side and gave them the belief they needed to go on and pick up the all-important two points and stay in contention for a top three spot.”