Challenge Cup: Mayfield v Gloucestershire

It is said that even the best teams have at least one bad game during the course of a season, well the season hasn’t even properly started yet and Mayfield are hoping that they have got their one game out of the way already.

This Carnegie Challenge Cup game really should have been a formality for the National Conference side, but the challengers, Gloucestershire had other ideas.

Within ten minutes and due to several missed tackles and a couple of very soft penalties the home side were 8points adrift. The crowd, and its fair to say the opposition, were stunned.

The introduction of Mark Biggins and Ben Simpson seemed to add a bit of steel and Mayfield began to take the ball forward. Within minutes Eric Johnson had slipped a pass to Simpson who sold the dummy and found the line wide open for Mayfield’s first score, Ieuan Higgs converted.

Johnson was again instrumental as he set up Carl Abraham for another score which gave Mayfield the lead for the first time.10 - 8 this remained the score until half time.

Gloucestershire came out like a team on a mission and it didn’t take long before a cross field kick was missed by the Mayfield winger allowing the visitors to reclaim the advantage.

Mayfield never really stopped trying and there were some decent individual performances but this isn’t enough you need to play as a team you need players to compliment each other, you need to communicate. There’s a long list of things you need to do and though Mayfield tried, they never achieved them.

The Gloucester stand off again slotted a kick across field and again the Mayfield winger failed to gather giving his opposite number another gift 10 -18.

Simon Moore and Matty Moores tried hard and gained ground while Ian Sampson and Carl Abraham worked hard in defence.

When Sean Snape finished off a flowing move 14 – 18 it still looked like the home side may just turn the game around, but evidently their visitors had not read the script. Weak defence and ill discipline lead to their downfall as Gloucestershire ploughed on, they dropped a goal and scored three more tries to deservedly win the game 14 – 33.

There were definitely glimpses of what Mayfield are capable of and there was no lack of effort but there needs to be a massive improvement all round before they can compete at the highest level.

Ben Simpson was awarded the M.O.M and there were good contributions from Eric Johnson, and Taurean Sheehan.