Fylde Wanderers 37 Preston Grasshoppers 2nds 10

In a fast moving and entertaining game, the Fylde Wanderers' backs were the crucial difference between the two teams. The forwards on both sides worked hard and the Fylde scrummage, featuring a powerful front row of Andrew Irving, Jonny Wild and the impressive youngster Andrew Darlington was very destructive.

But star of the show had to be winger Mark Evans who for the first time in his long career scored four tries. He rolled back the years, and his partial retirement, as he fed off the fine service of fly-half Bunny Edwards and centres Jack Wild & Aodhan Carson. One of the clutch of highly promising Fylde youngsters, flanker Fraser Spavin, scored the first try of the evening following good combination work between the forwards. Evans completed his hat trick at the end of the 1st half as Fylde took a 27-3 lead into the interval. Enterprising fullback Ben Hall had kicked an early penalty and converted two of the four 1st half tries.

The tight Wanderers defence was breached on 60 minutes when Hoppers created a good try which was converted. But the home side retained their concentration and intensity and scored two further tries by replacement Oli Brennand, on for the injured Matt Hughes, and another from Evans set up by a Brennand pass.

This was a fine game between two well drilled sides on a cool but clear evening in front of a very encouraging crowd under the Woodlands floodlights. The crowd was bigger than at many of the National Three grounds that Fylde 1sts have visited this season.

15 Ben Hall; 14 Mark Evans, 13 Aodhan Carson, 12 Jack Ward, 11 Matt Hughes; 10 Mark Edwards, 9 James Smith; 1 Andrew Irving, 2 Andrew Darlington, 3 Jonny Wild, 4 Matt Thompson, 5 Andrew Rosen, 6 Nick Campbell, 7 Fraser Spavin, 8 Sam Beaumont.

Replacements: Dave Rees, Alan Holmes, Oliver Brennand.