Odsal Sedbergh 32 Allerton Bywater 6

STAND-OFF Shaun Flynn covered every blade of grass on the Odsal Recreation pitch in a virtuoso performance to see Sedbergh home in style against a strong Allerton Bywater outfit in the Pennine Championship.

The long serving Flynn gave his highly-rated opposite number Danny Lazenby a lesson in how to dictate the game with a subtle variety of kicks and passing moves as Sedge dominated the clash from the off in monsoon conditions.

A touchdown from centre Robert Priestley was ruled out for offside early doors before scum half Luke Barker pounced on a threaded kick to the posts from Flynn and loose forward Luke Dawson slotted over the extras.

The power and determination of the home pack, using the slope to great effect once more, bore fruit when second row forward Josh Briggs collected a delayed pass from Barker to reach the chalk, leaving Dawson to convert.

Back row forward Ben Cousin soon added to the growing total when he made the extra man in the line. Cousin’s will and skill was further rewarded when he dummied the Bywater defence at the posts to spin over in heavy traffic for another six-pointer and he should have posted his hat-trick shortly afterwards when he was clean through, only to apply the brakes in an emergency stop with only the Allerton full back to beat.

Allerton must have fancied their chances as the sun emerged on the restart despite the 22-0 scoreline but the redoubtable Flynn put another dent in their rapidly fading hopes when he sent a grubber kick bouncing down the touchline which full back Lewis Silkstone missed, leaving Sedge hooker Shaquille Jones, who was also a real handful all afternoon, to collect and sprint behind the posts to leave Dawson another simple conversion.

Sedge made a dreadful hash of the resulting kick-off when a sloppy pass allowed Bywater substitute James Rawson a gift and Lazenby made sure of full reward from wide out.

The stage was set for a grand finale and the old trooper Flynn duly obliged with the final touchdown when he spotted the visitors' defence at sixes and sevens to canter 40 metres from a scrum to underline his sure-fire claim for the man of the match award, with Sedge comfortably marching to their second home win on the trot.