Fylde 29 Bradford & Bingley 10: Fylde turned in their best performance for the past couple of seasons as they comprehensively beat Bingley who travelled to the Woodlands with eight successive league victories behind them.
Sitting comfortably in second place in National Three (North) and averaging more than 30 points per game, the Bees represented formidable opposition but Fylde were undaunted and a purple patch of flowing rugby in the first quarter of the game left the visitors reeling.
Fylde built a 24-3 lead on 21 minutes and they maintained their concentration and discipline to the end. A late try by winger Nick Royle, Fylde's fourth, put the icing on the cake as they picked up a rare bonus point.
This was a tactical victory of some proportion and credit has to go to coaches Stuart Connell and Martin Scott.
They anticipated the sources of danger from Bradford and closed these down with remorseless tackling.
As at Tynedale last week, it took Fylde only two minutes to open the scoring with fullback Richard Kenyon claiming the try. Skipper Mike Scott converted with ease.
Further converted tries by Royle and Green made it 21-3 after just 17 minutes.
The Bees management must have voiced some home truths in the dressing room as they started the second period with much more vigour. They dominated the first 10 minutes, camping inside the Fylde 22 metre line and pouring men into ruck after ruck.
However Fylde withstood the onslaught and even added a further try before the end to clinch a memorable victory against much-fancied opposition.
Coach Stuart Connell said after the game: "I was confident that we could beat the Bees and said so at the sponsors' lunch before the game. This was a great team effort and there was excellence throughout the squad. But we have to build on this by winning at Cleckheaton next Saturday."
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