Eccles 22 – 40 Mayfield

Dec Sheridan goes over for his first

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For the fifth successive game Mayfield ran in forty points as they won this Kingston Press NCL game at Eccles on Friday night.

It wasn’t all plain sailing against a tough uncompromising Eccles outfit who pieced together some excellent rugby in response.

The tone for the game was set right from the off as Joe Qanuici made the first two tackles smashing the Eccles props with ground shaking hits.

Within five minutes Mayfield had their first points on the board as Sam Butterworth broke the line from forty metres out and jinked his way through the rest of the defence on his way for a try, which he converted himself. 

Eccles responded with some great defence to keep the Mayfield at bay and made some good forays into the Mayfield half where only some equally good defence kept them off the scoresheet, with Callum Marriott and Ben Butterworth putting in try saving tackles.

New signing Ryan Bradbury was impressing the large band of travelling supporters with some powerful runs, seemingly breaking the line at will, bouncing off defenders and gaining great field position for the team. Komai made the most of this as he grabbed a try out wide.

Bradbury was again involved as he made more ground Declan Sheridan found Qanuici who in turn set Matt Calland up for a Butterworth converted score.

At this point it looked like Mayfield would score at every opportunity and run up a cricket score, Eccles had other ideas though as they rallied with three tries in the next 11 minutes to level the score. Mayfield were their own worst enemies here, making unforced errors and falling off the tackle allowing Eccles back in the game.

An error from Eccles gifted Mayfield possession allowing exciting young hooker Declan Sheridan the chance to evade the defence and restore his sides lead.

From the restart Mayfield again coughed up the ball. Eccles moved the play wide and the winger touched down in the corner from where the full back converted.

The game was now a true end-to-end spectacle with both teams trying to gain the upper hand.

This was gifted to Mayfield as yet another error at the re-start gave them ball back, Butterworth and Paul Brearley combined to shift the ball wide to Bradbury who was unstoppable as he regained the lead Butterworth converted.

The second half showed everything that is good about this Mayfield side as they toughened up the defence. Eccles had three repeat sets on the Mayfield line but the defence held firm with Ben Butterworth, Liam Whalley, Paul Brearley and Luke Sampson in particular stepping up to the mark.

It took 20 minutes for the first points of the second half to be scored when Butterworth knocked over a penalty for offside.

Both sides cancelled each other out for long periods in the second half but eventually the skill shown by Mayfield proved too much for Eccles as Dec Sheridan again produced a piece of magic for another Butterworth converted try.

Things could have gone wrong as Mayfield lost Ben Butterworth after he was dismissed for a technical infringement but the response from the team was magnificent as they all dug deep for that extra effort.

This was rewarded after quick play from Bradbury and Aidan Gleeson saw Calland storm over for his second, again converted by Butterworth.

The extra effort began to show and Eccles again tried to breach the rock solid wall of blue and white but to no avail as to a man they held firm for the last ten minutes.

There were some very tired bodies when the final whistle went and Mayfield were glad to hear it, at the end of what was a very entertaining game of rugby league.

Sam Butterworth was awarded the Man-of-the-Match award by the Eccles coaching staff but it could easily have gone to any one of a number of players, with Declan Sheridan top of the Mayfield players list.

The Mayfield Chairman Simon Howe said he would also like to thank the large number of supporters who make the effort every week, home and away to follow the club: “The noise from the sideline gives the lads on the field a real boost and lifts them when the going gets tough.”

Mayfield Team: Seta Tala, Komai Nualamatua, Ryan Bradbury, Matt Calland, Rob Kershaw, Paul Brearley, Sam Butterworth, Matty Moores, Declan Sheridan, Joe Qanuici, Callum Marriott, Liam Whalley, Ben Butterworth, Aidan Gleeson, Simon Moore, Luke Sampson, Niall Bradley.