Ticket Office: 08444 994 994

In warm conditions on a well-grassed pitch, it was something of a surprise that the holiday crowd had to wait 27 minutes for the first of the game's ten tries. Leota tried two grubber kicks which came to nought, then Ingall burst forward and set up a spell of visiting forward pressure. On the quarter hour, fullback Haley was almost over, but the home side were defending well. Arnold and Barrow produced strong runs to avert the danger, releasing Strong whose progress was halted by a Leota tackle.

Sharks had a chance to show their defensive mettle when Briers threatened, but the visiting left winger Tom Brady revealed a portent of what was to follow when he made a burst after a lineout drive. His opening try came on 27 minutes, the culmination of a classic backs move which involved fullback Haley, whose final pass sent the winger through. Davies converted from out wide. Seven minutes later, there was a similar move and the identical outcome, with Leota's delightful pass enhancing the quality of the effort.

The first half's final phase saw a third try for the Sale Sharks XV. Taylor, Holmes and Croall all made forays into the home defence with ball in hand, opening up a gap which Jordan Davies exploited with a swerving, diagonal run. The scorer's conversion set the Navy Blues 19 points ahead at the break.

Former Sale Jet Ryan de la Harpe introduced pace from scrum half for Fylde after the break, but a sound Davies kick took the visitors up to the home danger zone. Brady's hat trick (within an eighteen minute spell) was simplicity itself, close quarter passing with Leota sending the winger over under the posts for Davies to extend the lead to 26-nil.

Another former Sale player, Italian international Warren Spragg, who has joined Fylde from Petrarca, put Mark Nelson's men on the scoresheet after 52 minutes. Hopwood and Jackson had forged a path forward, for the scorer to leap into the heap of bodies and dot the ball down. The admirable Johnson converted. Yet another ex-Sale Jet, Fylde debutant Ben Vernon, was taking the eye in his red scrum cap.

Multiple changes by both sides witnessed 13 scoreless minutes of play, but two errors by the Sharks XV led to two long-distance tries for Fylde. On 65 minutes, Johnson intercepted a pass to stride away fully 45 metres to score. Five minutes later, over elaboration by the Sharks XV led to a loss of possession. Spragg burst away, found Johnson in support, and Dowds finished off a 60-metre dash. Johnson converted to narrow the score to 19-26.

On 73 minutes, Brady scored the simplest of his four tries, Macleod converting, but within two minutes Spragg cashed in on a good break by Stockdale, Johnson converting. The final say was left to Sharks XV fullback Mike Haley. The ex-Preston Grasshopper sealed his record of never having been on the losing side against Fylde by cashing in on a superb run by Nick Macleod, who hit a post with his conversion attempt.

Scoring: (Fylde first) 0-7, 0-12, 0-19 (Half Time) 0-26, 7-26, 12-26, 19-26, 19-33, 26-33, 26-38

Scorers: Try - Brady (4), Davies & Haley, Cons - Davies (3) & Macleod

Squad: 15.Mike Haley, 14.Charlie Amesbury, 13.Charlie Ingall, 12.Johnny Leota, 11.Tom Brady, 10.Jordan Davies, 9.Will Cliff, 1.Aston Croall, 2.Tommy Taylor, 3.Ross Harrison, 4.Tom Holmes (capt), 5.Josh Beaumont, 6.Will Bordill, 7.Billy Emerson, 8.James Doyle

Replacements: 16.Will Hafu, (blank) Tom Cruse, 17.James Flynn, 18.Vadim Cobilas, 19.James Gaskell, 20.Danny Kennedy, 21.Cillian Willis,22. Nick Macleod, 23.Will Addison