Mayfield 22 – 32 St Judes

Mayfield 22 – 32 St Jude

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Saturday 27 April 2013 saw Mayfield visited by top of the table team Wigan St. Judes. This was a game Mayfield really wanted to win and in the final analysis it was a game they should have won, however, they failed to see off their opponents.

Jude started strongly and were soon on the score sheet with a converted try from their huge centre, 0 – 6.

Mayfield hit back with a Dan Kaufman try after a good break from the powerful Joe Qanuici, 4 – 6.

Then with three in the tackle the Jude's prop somehow managed to offload the ball and put his team mate in for an unconverted try, 4 – 10.

Qanuici was again involved in almost every Mayfield attack with Sam Butterworth and Paul Brearley linking up well and getting the best out of their team.

Qanuici and Butterworth made the opportunity for Luke Sampson to get the ball out wide and show some nifty footwork and some great skill with the ball as he dummied his way through the defence for a great try, again the conversion was missed 8 – 10.

The home side were playing the best rugby and continued to press the Jude's line, again having some bad luck as Brearley was held up over the whitewash.

On the stroke of half time Mayfield were awarded a penalty for a high shot on Ben Butterworth, which Aidan Gleeson duly slotted over to make the half time score 10 – 10.

Within ten minutes, dropped ball and missed tackles had gifted the opposition two tries.

With the score now at 10 – 20 the crowd feared the worst but Mayfield showed a fantastic spirit as they fought their way back into the game.

Eric Johnson and Todd O’Brien lead by example, Si Moore and Matty Moores also raised their games along with Ben Butterworth and Mitch Spackman, who made 86 tackles between them to keep their side in the game.

It was only a matter of time before Mayfield got their reward and it came in the shape of a great try from Sam Butterworth, after good work from Rob Kershaw and Dan Kaufman had given him the position from where he dummied his way over for a try which he also converted.

The home side were now in control of the game with the crowd willing them on and sensing a first defeat for the Wigan outfit.

Butterworth grabbed himself another converted try as he got on the end of a set play involving Si Moore and Matt Calland. This put Mayfield in front for the first time 22 – 20 with less than fifteen minutes left to play.

Butterworth turned from hero to villain as the referee deemed his high tackle bad enough to warrant a red card.

Judes smelled blood and came at the Mayfield team with a new found purpose when two minutes earlier they were down and out.

Judes soon began to find holes in the Mayfield defence and they made the most of it scoring two converted tries to snatch the result, 22 – 32.

Mayfield should take heart from what was a classy performance and one which, but for the sending off, would probably have resulted in a win.

Sponsors and the St Jude's coach named Todd O’Brien as Man-of-the-Match.

Team: Dan Kaufman, Rob Kershaw, Matt Calland , Luke Sampson,Seta Tala, Paul Brearley, Sam Butterworth, , Mitch Spackman, Todd O’Brien, Si Moore, Matty Moores, Ben Butterworth, Joe Qanuici, Si Moore, Nick Hargreaves, Alex West, Eric Johnson, Aidan Gleeson.