This was a good advertisement for the Bateman BMW Premiership as champions Preston Grasshoppers put down another marker to retain that honour by the end of April. Ultimately, this was a clear and deserved victory but for 60 minutes the young Fylde Hawks team battled hard against the odds.

Initially Hoppers played pragmatic rugby, using their much bigger and more experienced pack to hammer the young Fylde Hawks squad into the ground. The Fylde backs looked classy but they struggled to get anything like a decent share of possession. However, when Hawks winger Curtis Strong stepped his way over for a try from close range in the 60th minute, converted well by Sam Russell, at just 17-20 down, it looked like the home side might spring a surprise.

But Hoppers came back, battered the Hawks in the scrummages and over ran a brave home team with an unanswered 27 points in the last quarter, with flowing rugby. This was a clear and deserved win for the visitors but the Hawks certainly made them battle up until the last quarter. The Hoppers jubilant celebrations in the last 15 minutes, as if they had secured the league championship, was clear evidence of this.

The game started like it was to continue, with Hoppers hammering away at the Fylde line. They retained possession well as time and again they drove forward. The Hawks gave penalties away with their backs to the wall. Eventually, centre Cameron Berry was driven over for the opening try. Hoppers fly-half Josh Purnell converted well and the visitors had a lead which they weren't to relinquish for the whole of the match.

Hoppers fielded an immensely strong and experienced front row, with John Peterson, Alan Holmes and Richard Morton all established 1st team players at Lightfoot Green. Up against this trio was tyro prop Tom McGuinness & hooker Elliott Newsham along with the rather more experienced Jonny Wilde. And the Fylde scrummage initially held up well against the pressure exerted by their opponents.

In the 20th minute came the best try of the evening. The Hawks attacked from the halfway line down the right with neat offloading between backs and forwards. Play then flowed left and centre Charles Hough finished off with a fine touch down in the left corner. Sam Russell's attempted conversion from near the touchline fell short but the Hawks were just 5-7 in arrears. During this period, another gnarled Hoppers veteran, winger Russell Flynn, limped off with an ankle injury picked trying to stop the excellent Hawks right wing Ben Roth.

Hoppers continued to exert their forward dominance and Fylde's defence, whilst committed, gave away penalties in kickable positions. Purnell was happy to benefit and kicked two penalties to give his side a 13-5 lead. Purnell was excellent throughout, kicking well and generally directing affairs with pace and good judgement.

But it wasn't all one way traffic. Fylde battled back into the Hoppers 22m area and from a tap penalty former England Counties scrum-half Craig Aikman, one of two experienced players in the Hawks ranks, nipped over in the right corner with a typically opportunistic try. Once again, from wide out, Russell's kick drifted wide but the Hawks were just 10-13 down as the 1st half ended.

The 2nd half started much like the 1st period. Camped on the Fylde line, Hoppers hammered away, phase after phase. A couple of penalties against Fylde annoyed the referee and the third led him to award a penalty try. Purnell converted and his side had a 20-10 lead.

But once again, the Hawks came back with some pressure of their own. They drove forward 15m out from the 'Hoppers line and when the ball was moved down the blindside, Curtis Strong stepped past a flailing defender and scored a neat try. Sam Russell converted beautifully from wide out and suddenly his side was only 17-20 down.

This proved to be the high watermark of the Hawks' evening. Their cause wasn't helped by a yellow card for a high tackle to player-coach Adam Jackson. With Hawks replacements introduced, the team was on the back foot and were to suffer 20 minutes of pain by a resurgent Hoppers who took due advantage.

A try by centre Harry Reddick was soon followed by another, this time by replacement Ollie Yates. When Purnell converted a penalty on 70 minutes, Hoppers had settled the contest at 35-17. A close range try by replacement prop Matt Lowes followed a series of scrummages in which the weary Fylde 8 were driven off their own ball three or four times. Another Hoppers replacement, Terry Maguire, got his name on the score sheet by converting the try for a 42-17 lead.

There was enough time for Jonnie Wilde to get a yellow card for foul play and for Hoppers to launch another long range attack which ended with Matt Gargett crossing in the right corner to conclude the scoring for the evening at 47-17.

The display from Fylde's backs and the heart showed by the forwards in an unequal struggle against the much more experienced Hoppers pack will be of some consolation. Another, more importantly, was the staging of an excellent contest on a perfect, still evening on the superb Woodlands pitch. The substantial crowd, some 300, was a suitable reward for a great deal of publicity effort by Fylde managers and officers. Many National League clubs attract smaller attendances for their 1st team games. All in all, if this is how Friday evening rugby can be, bring more on!

Photos courtesy of Chris Farrow (what would we do without Chris' great photos, week in, week out?!).