On Saturday, April 27, Mayfield defeated a fierce Lowca team handily to advance to the BARLA National Cup’s second round. The Cumbrians prepared for their trip to Rochdale with great fanfare, aware that they were vast underdogs, but they were determined to have fun regardless of the outcome.
From the beginning to the end, Mayfield dominated the Cumbrian League team, and the outcome was always certain. McDaid (3), Butterworth (2), Mills (2), Parr (2), and Wood (2) were the triescorers for Mayfield. Parr converted seven of the eleven tries for a total of 22 points.
Cole Connolly and Dave Mills led the forwards’ impressive performance on the day, while Dev Long, his half-back partnerSam Wright, Jordan Parr, and Lewis Butterworth took advantage of the extra space to their advantage. Lewis Ainley made a helpful return to the blue and white as well. The coaches were pleased that the majority of the tries were scored using drills that they practise once a week in training.
This was a distraction from the league, which must be the primary objective. However, cup competitions are always welcome, and a successful run in any cup is a great way to boost a team’s morale—not that Mayfield needs it right now, as the team is currently exuberant. Mayfield was drawn away from Pennine League One team Mirfield in the second round of the cup; the match will take place on Saturday, May 25.
The NWML team defeated the highly anticipated Roose Pioneers 46–22, registering a comfortable victory while the NCL team was winning their match. With the victory that shot his team to the top of the table, veteran stager Rob Kershaw contributed with two tries. Coach Andy Reed expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance and their ability to focus on the assigned task.
