Mayfield v Elland

Mayfield travelled to Elland on Saturday (20 August) with a strong squad and were confident of beating their hosts, but the performance they put in was way below par, and way below the standard expected of them by the coach.

Butterworth commented that he was very disappointed to lose to a team which he described as no better than a pub team.

Mayfield started brightly enough with an early converted try when Ben Butterworth sold a dummy which the whole defensive line took, allowing him to coast over untouched.

It didn’t take long before a mistake allowed the home side to gather possession in the Mayfield half and then a missed tackle gave them the try to draw level.

Mayfield pushed forward and looked the far better side with ball in hand. Simpson and the impressive Matty Moores were causing problems all over the park. With Elland pinned in their own twenty their half back tried to kick the ball down field Si Moore read the play and charged down the kick, he followed this up and touched down for a converted try 6-12. Mayfield looked in total control.

After the break more mistakes began to creep into the play, the home side took the game to Mayfield and ran in two tries to make the score 22-12 Butterworth’s side had no answer to Elland’s efforts even though they were down to endeavour rather than skill.

Johnson and O’Brien worked hard all over the park and tried to get their team mates going but it just wasn’t working. The introduction of Higgs had lifted the team and he injected some moments of class most notably when he took a pass from Johnson on the half way line and then proved unstoppable as he raced over under the sticks, Lee converted 22-18. More missed tackles then allowed the home side to work the ball down field where they capitalised on their position to grab the final try.

The game finished 28 -10 but Mayfield really should have taken the points here in Yorkshire against a very ordinary side.

Butterworth said: “We had some good individual performances but we didn’t play as a team there was no cohesion and this is something we will have to put right.

“There are no games next week due to the challenge cup so we have time to sort things out and I am confident with the quality of player we have here that we will come good very soon.

“Luke Sampson continued his steady improvement and there were good games from O’Brien, Higgs and Johnson but mention must go to Moores who put in the full eighty minutes without a break, something that is rarely done in this day and age.”