With Christmas, snow and rain disrupting games over the last couple of months, this is only the second time the women have graced the turf at Eakring Road since the festive break. And if there was only one game you were able to watch this season then this would have been it. Mansfield faced a very determined, structured Scunthorpe side this past Sunday and gave everything in a display that was equal parts frustrating and awesome. Two early tries saw Mansfield on the backfoot and with a big hill to climb. While they were unfortunately unable to surmount it, and there are valid questions about how those early tries occurred, the desire and tenacity they showed to fight back was a sight to behold. And to do it against such formidable opponents as well!

Head coach Dave Woodcock was pragmatic in defeat: ‘As gutted as I am about the result, it’s far outweighed by the performance, Scunthorpe playing quite defensively said a lot about our threat.’

But for the first 20 minutes. That is the core of this game and such a cruel part of sport. Scunthorpe were ready to run right out of the gate and immediately pressured the home team. They were a polished and physical and professional and powerful team full of pizzaz. And those are just the words beginning with P! Those opening exchanges really shell-shocked Mansfield who struggled to contain them. It was in these exchanges that the ultimate difference between the two teams was made. While exerting numerous waves of pressure, a deft chip over the top fell wonderfully to the winger out wide, who snapped it up and evaded a couple of defenders to open the scoring. A successful conversion saw the visitors into the lead, 7-nil.

While that opening score was the result of being under pressure, Scunthorpe scored their second almost immediately. Mansfield struggled to cope with the restart and let the visitors gather the ball, setting off an attack that ended 50 metres later with a second try, soon converted, that left the home team 14-0 down within a matter of seconds. Mansfield were not playing badly and they had periods of possession and territory that saw them push Scunthorpe right to the edge. But they couldn’t find that final push to get them through a very organised defence.
To compound this misery, a third try, born out of a brilliant turnover, was added not much later. Another conversion was added, taking the half time score to 21-0. Mansfield had looked disjointed in the first half and Scunthorpe had taken full advantage.

But, and it is a very big but, whatever was in the water at half time needs to be bottled and sold because the team that came out for the second half was not the same as the first. More measured and composed and a whole lot more confident, the second half was, and it cannot be stressed enough, awesome. Two teams who pretty much just battered the absolute hell out of each other. Scunthorpe largely had the more powerful scrum but Mansfield were able to stabilise it long enough to secure their own ball. They were more creative in attack, more powerful in defence, more assured overall. Scunthorpe were much more defensive this half, struggling to exert the same pressure as the first and kicking away more possession. However, there was frustration in Mansfield’s ambition as dropped balls became a repeat presence, an unwelcome presence, in the blue-and-white’s game. This really stifled their attack.

And attack they did, a series of phases seeing the team push towards the visitor’s tryline, Laina Corah ultimately taking the ball and smashing her way through. She converted her own try to bring the score to 21-7 to the visitors. Still a mountain to climb but maybe one with a speck of sunlight peaking over the crest.

Scunthorpe added just three points to their tally in the second half, a successful kick at the posts, taking the score to 24-7. After their trio of tries in the first half, this is testament to the strength of the defence of the home team in the second half, a penalty pushed them just that little bit further and gave them a bit of a buffer.

Corah would also add the second, and final, try for her team. Almost a copy of the first, numerous waves of pressure seeing the home team causing trouble for the visitors and crashing through once again. The conversion was missed but this was the result of a much more direct team. This became the final score, 24-12.

Ultimately, those two early tries proved to be very costly for the home team and Scunthorpe fully deserved the victory. They were a great spectacle and not only showed precision in attack but some awesome defence as well. Mansfield’s confidence grew and they seemed to get better as the game wore on. Whether nerves or simply rust, by the second half they were gone and it became an absolute battle to watch, exemplified by joint players the match Amy Marshall and Marie-Ann Battersby who constantly prove to be a handful to any opposition. No doubt this one will hurt for the blue-and-whites but they can be proud of how they regrouped and fought back, even taking some consolation in the fact they won the second half, 12-3. But for the first 20 minutes!