RFU National League One: Fylde 45 Birmingham & Solihull 24
It will be back-to-back relegations for Birmingham & Solihull Bees after ten manic minutes at the end of this game saw their hosts run in four tries to storm to a victory that maintained their own promotion push.
The visitors were leading 24-21 going into the final stages but paid the price for having just two replacements – and coach Eugene Martin – on the bench.
Full-back Nick Royle ran in to restore the Fylde lead and the home side then took advantage of their tiring opponents by bagging three more tries in five minutes.
Chris Briers who gave the Lancastrians the perfect start with a brace of converted tries inside the opening six minutes with flanker Steve McGinnis adding a third.
But Bees hit back with a scything run to the line from centre Gregg Evans. Jack Pons sprinted 50 metres to score the second try, Mark Woodrow slotting over each of the conversions.
Another break, this time from Woodrow, made it 21-19 at the interval before second-row David Markham muscled in for an unconverted try to give the Bees the lead.
But Fylde’s late rally left the visitors contemplating a second successive relegation.
FYLDE: Royle, Viney, C Briers, S Briers (McShane 80), Brennand, Kenyon, Wallwork; Livesey (Loney 60), Roddam, Altham (Griffiths 47), Arnold, Ferguson, Stewart (J Beaumont 17), McGinnis, Beaumont. Rep: Depledge.
BEES: Stajka, Ford, Connolly, Evans, Pons, Hawkes, Woodrow; McCarthy, Darkintis (Long 67), Tau (Webster 80), Quarrie, Markham, Dunne, Padian, Preece. Rep: Martin.
