Records go at Eakring Road
MIDLANDS 3 EAST (NORTH)
MANSFIELD 60 GRIMSBY 0
Despite running in to a determined, physical Grimsby side who troubled them in the loose, and a half hour passage without scoring, Mansfield posted another impressive victory. A clean sheet for the meanest defence in the league thanks to application of their drills, tackling like dervishes and total concentration allied to their fitness. Meanwhile clinical finishing and the ability to seize on half chances and springboard out from deep keeps the points for climbing. Sixty points this week and that matched their average per league game.
Once more the Blue and Whites imposed themselves early. Stringfellow was involved twice as he tapped back the Mansfield kick off and linked with Pritchard and Kirk as the side powered into the game. A line out saw Spencer provide quick ball and after Holmes jinked clear and chipped into open space Davies was tidying and giving the backs an early series of runs.
The first to benefit, after Wills made a half break, was Storey breaking a tackle and allowing his speed to carry him over. Robinson struck a conversion from wide and with the restart drifting straight into touch and a centre field scrum was the basis for another Mansfield assault. Storey was again piercing the Grimsby defence, stopped only by a high tackle in the 22. The line ball from the penalty was taken by Newton who gathered the pack around him for a ten-metre drive and Spencer secured the second try.
Grimsby still sought a way through but Wilson put in a juddering tackle and Grant snaffled ball to turn the point of attack. A probing high ball saw Robinson taken whilst in mid air but his clearing kick pushed the Blue and Whites back to opposition territory. Holmes came up with the ball as the Lincolnshire side tried to work play blind and Newton pressurised errors behind the scrum. Again he benefited from Kirk’s accurate throw and the backs linked through Robinson, Wilson and Colley.
The same players were interchanging passes from the next attack before Coleman and Pritchard forced another penalty. As has been the pattern for the season a kick was spurned and the option of a line out paid dividends. Wills forced his way to the line where he was held and Grimsby felt they had done enough by gaining a five-metre scrum. Kirk struck, the power told and with ball against the head Holmes was breaking left and Colley provided the angle to collect a try converted by Robinson.
The kick off provided Pritchard and Coleman with another opportunity to show their paces, before Wills slanted a kick to the corner and Colley pinned the play in the visitors 22. Two more minutes and two more tries. Mansfield’s line out was spun wide and Jones crashed through the first line before the ball went wide through Wilson and Robinson to Storey who weaved past despairing hands making his way over.
Having collected the restart Stringfellow and Grant seemed to have set the perfect base but an accidental offside stopped Mansfield’s progress. Grimsby launched into attack but Wilson’s tackle rocketed the ball from his opposite number’s grasp. Three men went for the ball, Wilson came away with it and from inside his own half he had the look of a man unstoppable, and was. Robinson added the extra two points and the first half hour had produced a 31-0 lead.
Whether it was the taking of a collective second breath or just that Grimsby in the forwards had enough spoiling power to bog down Mansfield’s tactics is debatable. However, the surprising outcome was a further thirty minutes without the scoreboard moving. Before the break Jones nearly pulled off an interception and Storey went close to completing his hat trick.
The third quarter was notable as Hooper, replacing Holmes, was linking with Spencer and Jones going forward thirty metres. Grant emerged on the right and the lively Storey was again flying down the wing. Again Wills and Robinson were kicking long for position, Storey jostled clear and Wilson was with inches of a cross-field ball. Pogmore taking over from Kirk showed he too could take the ball against the head and Spencer with support from the back row was at last getting Mansfield points moving again.
The scrum power was far from diminished with the introduction of Drury, who with Pritchard, committed the defence and allowed Davies to break and send Colley in for his second try of the day. Once again the scores came in quick succession. Newton was showing the power and pace that brought him the Heath Pension Man of the Match award ahead of Storey. He led a forwards charge before the ball sped through Jones and Davies to the winger who finally completed his well deserved hat trick.
More big tackles from Spencer, Drury and Grant and a retreating Grimsby pack were enough to see Hopper pouncing on the ball for try number nine. That became double figures as a Newton try rounded off a successful afternoon for him and his side before Robinson made it 60 points with his fifth conversion. ‘A good performance even though we lost our shape in the middle of the game,’ mused Coach Steve Shaw. ‘We will have to maintain eighty minutes concentration next week.’
His and the Club’s thoughts move away from the league this weekend and the focus turns towards the national Cup and an EDF Seniors Vase tie at Stole on Trent. The Potteries side started the season in the West as impressively as Mansfield in the East. Winning their first five games took them to the top but two points deducted for administrative irregularities pegged them back. Two defeats on the pitch at Dixonians and a first home defeat of the season last Saturday leaves them lying third. Mansfield will look to overturn home advantage and stay on the long trek to Twickenham.
