Preston Grasshoppers 20 Fylde 24: Visitors edge a close derby clash
A classic local derby saw Fylde edge home in a game that could have gone either way right to the very end.
With the clock in stoppage time, the visitors lost a scrum in their own half, but Hoppers’ No.8 Tom Ailes could not hold on to the ball after a rampaging run and Fylde were able to cling on to their narrow lead.
Home head coach Dan Orwin said: “We should have won; we certainly did enough. Fylde had the edge round the breakdown – they were good at slowing down the ball, sometimes illegally, but if you can get way with it…
“At times, we were right in it and it would have been a different game if we could have finished some attacks off and been able to maintain the pressure.
“It was disappointing once again to not score four tries.”
Hoppers claimed first blood when lock Hugo Castle crashed over after scrum half Rory Brand was stopped short.
But Hoppers spilled the restart kick and a long pass after the Fylde scrum put winger Leo Gilliland over for a try converted by Will Hunt.
Hoppers regained the lead with a Greg Smith penalty, but with home winger Sam Freeman in the sinbin for a deliberate knock-on, scrum-half Gabe Maguire scored on the blindside and Hunt converted.
Preston scorned a couple of penalties to go for line-out drives, which Fylde frustrated, and centre Billy Glover went close, but Fylde clung on until half-time, although Hunt was yellow-carded for a high tackle.
Hoppers were first to score after the break, Castle getting his second try, converted by Smith to edge them back in front.
But Fylde full-back Jordan Dorrington won the chase after a neat kick and Hunt added the conversion.
As play swung back and forth and the weather deteriorated, strong Hoppers pressure brought a try for Smith, but he could not add the extras.
Hunt kicked a brilliant penalty from halfway and the visitors clung on for a hard-earned victory.
The result leaves the neighbours locked on six points after two games in National League Two North.