Match Report - Sandbach 25 v 21 Rossendale

In a thrilling match, Sandbach managed to keep their nerve for an important win, in a battling performance against joint league leaders Rossendale.

Having led for most of the game, Sandbach needed to defend stoutly to hold off the Lancashire based outfit, who pushed them all the way. Despite a few close shaves and being down to fourteen men in the last few moments, they survived the late fight back to claim a narrow victory. With Sale Shark and Scotland’s Byron McGuigan heading up the Dale, it provided Sandbach with that little bit extra motivation to get one over their former coach and that was needed in an always tight affair.

Sandbach made an ideal start as they came out firing and scored in the first minute, with a kick to the corner and regulation catch and drive try, that saw hooker Alex Bishop over. Fly half Will Cargill adding the extras. Sandbach were enjoying the opening phases and created a couple of line breaks which they failed to finish off and were made to rue these missed opportunities, as Rossendale began to find their rhythm. Having conceded a number of penalties Sandbach were forced to defend on their own line and eventually the pressure told. After several phases of one out runners had sucked in the home defence, the ball was spun out wide and Rossendale winger Curtis Strong was over. Dale’s fly half Lewis Allen levelling up the score with the conversion.

Rossendale then lost second row Howard to the sin bin for a no arms tackle and Sandbach took advantage with Bishop’s second try, once more from a well-rehearsed catch and drive. Once restored back to their full complement, Rossendale equalised when their influential player coach Matt Lamprey shrugged off two or three would be tacklers and showed a surprising turn of pace, to make the 30 metres to the line to score. Allen’s conversion inching them ahead but a few minutes later with the last play of the half Sandbach regained the lead, with James Preston landing a simple penalty.

Cargill failed to return in the second half, with scrum half Nick Allsop moving over and Laurie Essenhigh coming on, but this did not stop Sandbach who scored almost immediately after the restart. Once more it was a kick to the corner and a lineout drive, but this time Rossendale tried to not engage in search of a penalty. A ploy that had worked earlier for them in the game. This time however Sandbach had learnt from the previous tactic and did not move the ball back, resulting in a fairly easy score, as flanker Ross Sutherland drove over. Preston converted as Sandbach led 25 v 14.

Rossendale showed why they are promotion contenders and began to monopolise possession and utilise their power runners, as Sandbach came under continued pressure. With penalties mounting as they looked to keep the visitors out, Sandbach lost prop Tom Poole to the bin, but despite the extra man Sandbach kept them out. Then once back to fifteen they inched further ahead with Preston’s second penalty, with ten to go, Rossendale being reduced to fourteen themselves, as flanker Edge-Spedding saw yellow, having given the referee a bit of advice.

Rossendale were really cranking it up, but the clock was against them, eventually they managed to score as Liam Canning was driven over after multiple short-range efforts. Allen reducing the deficit to just four points with four minutes to go. Sandbach then saw Preston binned for a high tackle as things really got nervous, but as Rossendale piled on the pressure, Sandbach won a couple of crucial breakdown penalties, to clear their lines and then see the game out.

Sandbach will be really pleased with the win and having suffered just the two narrow defeats so far, are still in the mix for a decent finish come the end of the season. There is still plenty of work to be done, particularly in converting chances created, but with good competition for places, despite a few recent injuries, things are ticking along nicely. This was confirmed with a solid 65 v 22 win for the Sandbach Saxons against their Rossendale counterparts on the adjacent pitch earlier. Next week see’s Wirral visit Bradwall Road and Sandbach will be keen to get another victory, to keep up the pressure on the top few sides.

Pictured - Two Try Scorer Alex Bishop.