Westoe steal it at the death
IF Westoe's performance overall was ragged, the coup de grace was clinical.
They were 20-17 behind with time running out in an error-strewn National 2 North contest from which neither side could salvage much satisfaction.
Amid the mediocrity, however, there had shone the lineout ball-stealing skill of Matthew Muchall, which all season has been a perplexing thorn in the side of opponents, and in this game had already twice rescued his side in dire situations.
And it was the 6ft 6ins lock who rose once more to grab the Fylde ball on the halfway line, triggering a powerful maul down the left flank that penetrated deep into enemy territory.
Several sure-handed phases then led to a further forward surge, from which athletic No 8 Miles Scott emerged in possession, and with a lithesome twirl evaded grasping hands to touch down beside the right corner flag.
For good measure, fly-half Charlie Rayner converted splendidly from the touchline, which meant that the hosts realistically had to score a try in the two remaining minutes, and once their restart kick had been safely pouched, they were never give a ghost of a chance.
Painfully mindful of how a week earlier Harrogate had stolen victory in the last play of the game, the Westoe pack huddled around the ball carrier as if he had the Crown Jewels, and it was only released when safe to enable scrum-half Chris Judson to kick into touch and so end the game.
This grand finale had seen the Shieldsmen at their best, which could hardly have been said of most of what had gone before.
As director of rugby Andy Howells succinctly put it: "It was a bit of a messy game, but we will always take an away win, no matter how it comes."
The four points meant that Dunes Adventure Island-sponsored Westoe moved up a place to sixth-top of the 16-team division, having won and lost 12 matches, with six more still to play.
To adapt a sporting clich, the first half was one of two quarters.
In the first 20 minutes it was Westoe who were in total command, and after a couple of good opportunities had been created but then fluffed, they went ahead when Muchall's first line-out poaching act set the backs away, centre James Clark cutting inside through a gap to score.
Rayner made it seven points and then slotted home a penalty to put his side 10-0 ahead.
Fylde came fighting back, and in the 23rd minute slick passing across the backs gave overlapping winger Matt Gargett a simple touchdown.
Soon after, scrum-half Craig Aikman's tap-and-go penalty close in caught the Westoe defence off guard, and he sped over beside the posts for fly-half Tom Barlow to routinely convert, and so give his side a 12-10 half-time lead.
Fylde continued to attack after the resumption, and it was against the run of play when Rayner cleverly intercepted a sharp pass from a scrum and sprinted 25m for a try he promptly converted.
It was the livewire Aikman who levelled matters when he took a 5m line-out ball and shot through a cluster of players for his second surprise try, after which a Barlow penalty again put the home team ahead.
Though disgruntled at having what seemed a perfectly good try by replacement winger Hayden Richards disallowed, Gareth Nesbit's team did not let their heads go down and finally came good, indeed, very good.
Afterwards, Nesbit said: "We did make far too many mistakes, but at the end of the day it is all about winning. Last week, in contrast, we played very well and lost.
"After we got that late try we were determined not to give it away again, and had the wherewithal to close the game down. And all things considered I believe we deserved to win."
* The Colts were beaten 23-17 in a hard-fought, and evenly contested Under-18 League game at Alnwick. Tries came from winger Daniel Rundell (2) and lock James Robinson, and centre Sam Hughes added a conversion.
* The Fourths' Durham Junior League game was cancelled when visitors Houghton-le-Spring were unable to raise a side.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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