Relieved Mansfield RUFC shrug off traffic trauma

Sat-nav problems were blamed as a wrong turn resulted in an unscheduled jaunt through the centre of Leicester on a busy and congested Saturday afternoon.

It led to a delayed start to the game and, not surprisingly, it took a while for third-placed Mansfield to hit their straps on a bitterly cold day and on a heavy Sileby pitch.

But they eventually ground out a 31-25 victory, with the help of five tries, against their next-to-bottom hosts, leaving head coach Wayne Robinson pleased as well as relieved.

“We didn’t get off to the best of starts, but I was impressed with the way the lads got their act together,” said Robinson. “To come away with a five-point win was exceptional given the circumstances.”

Metaphorically speaking, the blue-and-whites were still on the team bus when Sileby crashed over for their first score with only three minutes on the clock. And it took an interception try from Adam Rowbottom, converted by John Ross Ward, to wake up the visitors.

After a period of stalemate, Sileby added a penalty, but by half-time, Mansfield had built a lead of 19-8 thanks to two more tries. From a catch and drive at the lineout, stalwart Lee Kirk emerged from a pile of bodies to score the first, and then a similar move led to Mark Wallace claiming the spoils.

The visitors also struck early in the second half as the ball was fed down the line for Ross Ward to go over in the corner. Sileby struck back with a try of their own before more good work from the Mansfield forwards saw Phil Pogmore go over, and then Ross Ward convert, to make it 31-13.

With an admirable never-say-die attitude, the home side rallied twice more to cut the deficit, but Mansfield held on and now look forward to entertaining Sleaford on Saturday (2.15 pm).