ASHBROOKE MISS OUT

PLENTY OF BLYTH SPIRIT, BUT SUNDERLAND MEN FAIL TO TAKE CHANCES IN NARROW DEFEAT

Sunderland succumbed to a 24-22 defeat at Blyth in Durham/Northumberland Division Two on Saturday.

But chairman Paul Geehan believed that, on another day, his travelling side could have notched a hat-trick of tries after dominating proceedings but faltering in their bid to get back to winning ways.

It was hard to disagree as home side Blyth claimed the narrowest of wins which helped put distance between themselves and basement club Seaton Carew.

Sunderland secured the losing bonus point as Harry Price crossed in the final minutes, converted by young wing Harry Connell to bring the scores to within two points.

Minutes earlier, Connell had seen his penalty kick driftwide–whichcouldhave nicked the win in the dying moments of the second half, while the Ashbrooke side squandered an attacking line-out, metres from the opposition’s line.

Reflecting on the game, Geehan said: “There were at least three other chance which could have easily led to scores and, in the second half, we were virtually camped in their 22.

“We just lacked any kind of cohesion in the first half, which is unusual for us.”

Four sloppy first-half penalties cost Sunderland, who had outscored Blyth by three tries to two, in a frenzied 10-minute period which had seen winger Scott Hughes sin-binned for reasons that can be best described as unclear.

Attacking downhill in the first half, Blyth peppered Sunderland’s back three with high balls.

From a clearance to touch and resulting lineout, Blyth bundled the ball over the line for the first score of the game.

The Ashbrooke pack responded and levelled the scores on 10 minutes after Martin Watt joined a driving maul which powered over Blyth’s line for the score. Brad Fish narrowly missing the conversion from wide out.

Down 17-5 at half-time, Sunderland came out galvanised.

Fly-half Marc Edmundson was felled by a shoulder charge to the head – which went unpunished – and, despite nursing an injury which later required 15 stitches, continued to pull the strings as Sunderland fought to get back into the game.

Reorganised, scrumhalf Fish darted from a breakdown in his own 22 to go almost the length of the field to score in the corner.

Connell bagged the conversion and added to his tally with a further penalty.

Missing chances to add to their score from further penalties, Sunderland flanker Jordan Smith was sin-binned for not retreating at a penalty, while Blyth had two players also yellowcarded.

With 10 minutes to go and pressure mounting on Blyth’s try line, Sunderland worked a try well, playing phases before releasing winger Price to score in the corneR.

Theconversionnarrowed the score to 24-22 in Blyth’s favour, but it was too little, too late for Sunderland.

The Ashbrooke men have a weekend break from league action this coming Saturday.