For the second week running, Hinckley dented the promotion ambitions of a top three side, this time coming away with a bonus point victory against a Fylde side who had notched up 114 points in their last two games and were looking strong favourites to take the play-off place in the division. Four tries, two in each half, from Ben Pointon, Callum Dacey, Luke Coltman and Jamie Skerritt were enough to take the spoils and win their eighth game in the last nine outings, despite having to survive with only 13 men for a 10 minute period in the second half. That was almost their undoing, as Fylde scored two of their three tries in that time and took the lead shortly afterwards for the only time in the match. But the confidence and resolve that Hornets have developed in recent weeks allowed them to respond with 2 tries of their own to seal the game.

The game though was as much a victory for the coaching team as for the players. Fylde are a team who like to run the ball and thrive on open play. By picking what many saw as a lightweight but highly mobile back row of Henry and Ollie Povoas alongside Jamie Skerritt, Hornets were able to win the race to the breakdown and snuff out the opportunity for Fylde’s free running backs to threaten the Hinckley line. It was a masterful plan and worked a treat. Indeed, the only time that Fylde were able to break the shackles and show what they were capable of was when Hornets had been reduced to 13 men.

Head coach Chris Campbell was justifiable pleased with the result. ‘It was all a bit chaotic during that bin period and Fylde punished us. At 17-15 down, having conceded three quick tries, we could easily have folded. That we were able to pick ourselves up and get back to the way we were playing in the first period shows how far we have come. It was also great to see Pointon and Dacey scoring from first phase possession. It’s a sign of the quality we have in our backs. Rugby is very much a confidence game and the confidence we have developed recently is showing in the way we are playing.’

The story of the first period was very much about Fylde battering away against a Hinckley defence who simply absorbed everything that was thrown at them, while taking the few opportunities when they were presented. Fylde didn’t help themselves on occasions, spilling the ball as they closed in on the line but there was little doubt that Hornets deserved their 15 point lead at half-time.

Joe Wilson opened the scoring with a penalty after just four minutes when a charge-down in the Fylde 22m led to the home side conceding a penalty in front of their posts.

The first try didn’t come until 22 minutes. From a Hinckley scrum on halfway, the ball was quickly released to Tom Wheatcroft who’s miss pass to Dacey set him running for the line. Vowles took it deep into the Fylde 22m and did well to keep the ball alive as he was tackled into touch. The ball was worked back inside and Pointon was eventually able to break from the back of a ruck to score under the posts. Wilson converted.

The second try came 5 minutes later. From a scrum 30m out from the Hinckley line a delightful reverse pass released Wilson who carried to halfway before offloading to Dacey to run for the line. It was a spectacular effort from Dacey, eluding the attentions of both Tom Carleton and Connor Wilkinson on his way to the score. That gave Hornets a 15-0 lead which they held with some ease until the break.

The second period began with Fylde seemingly determined to assert some authority on the game. Hornets found themselves very much on the back foot and things began to unravel when Vowles was carded for a high tackle and Dave Peck joined him in the bin a couple of minutes later for handling in the ruck.

Fylde looked to exploit their extra numbers and Carleton was able to go over in the corner as Hornets simply ran out of defenders out wide.

Greg Smith missed the conversion (a stiff crosswind caused problems for both kickers throughout the afternoon) but Fylde were sensing blood and continued to throw the ball around looking for the gaps. It was only a matter of time before Hinckley’s frantic scramble defence was breeched and this time it was centre Chris Briers who went over in the corner for Fylde - 10-15, game on.

Fylde were rampant and even with 15 men on the field, Hornets were struggling to hold the line. Fylde’s third try came on 65 minutes when flanker Phil Mills was allowed to run in under the posts with the Hornets defence seemingly paralyzed and Smith’s conversion gave Fylde the lead.

The home support sensed a try fest… but it didn’t happen.

First, Wilson was able to set up an attacking line-out in the Fylde 22m after Fylde were penalised for offside. The drive from the line-out was held, Dacey went close, but when he was brought down the pack took it on to drive the ball over. Luke Coltman claimed the score. Wilson converted and Hornets were 5 in front with nine minutes left on the clock.

Four minutes later, Hinckley won a turnover scrum on the Fylde 10m line after good work from Henry Povoas. From the scrum, the ball was worked to 25m when Povoas broke the line, drew the last man and handed on to Skerritt to run the ball over the line for perhaps the easiest try he will ever score… game over.

The win consolidates Hinckley in fourth place in the division, seven points ahead of Loughborough and eight behind Sedgley Park. With the top three side all playing each other in the next few weeks, there is still a possibility they could yet climb higher. ’In the next two weeks we play Scunthorpe and Preston, both struggling at the bottom of the division,’ commented Campbell. ‘It’s easy to get up for the game when you are playing a top three side. It will be fascinating to see if we can maintain that level of intensity against sides at the other end of the table.’

Nick Robinson