ROCKCLIFF STRENGTH SINKS SUNDERLAND
ASHBROOKE MEN OUTGUNNED BY HIGH-FLIERS ON BIG DAY FOR THE EDMUNDSON FAMILY
Sunderland found secondtop Whitley Bay Rockliff too strong in Saturday’s 24-6 defeat in Durham/Northumberland Division Two.
The reshuffled team saw junior colt Dean Edmundson earn call up as a back replacement in the same week he was selected for Durham County U17s. He joined brother Marc and cousin Grant in the first XV in a notable achievement for the Edmundson family.
The packs were given an early opportunity to size each other up in the lineout. Sunderland took the lion’s share, with Andy Wordsworth disrupting opposition ball throughout and Martin Watt reacting fastest to overthrows or ripping ball from oppositionastheytriedtopeel around the back of the line.
Sunderland put together good phases of play in the early minutes, however Rockcliff tackled well and put numbers into the breakdown as they keenly contested the ruck area.
In an abrasive forward encounter, some clear offending was not picked up or punished anywhere near as often as it might have been, but, despite the infringements, Leon Ryan kicked a long-range penalty on seven minutes to give Sunderland a 3-0 lead.
The visitors withstood and repelled Whitley Bay’s attacks, securing ball at the breakdown with the centre pairing of Jack Hope and Dom Younger offering a stern defensive test. As Rockcliff pressurised Sunderland’s left wing, Ryan made some strong tackles.
Brad Fish had to go off injured and, while he was being treated, Sunderland conceded a penalty out wide that was gratefully despatched by the Rockliff kicker for 3-3.
Dean Edmundson made his bow in a reshuffle and showed why his inclusion was justified with a series of telling tackles and pace in attack.
He was set away by brother Marc on the right wing and showed Rockliff a clean pair of heels, but lost his footing as he swerved to run around the final defender.
On 31 minutes, Rockliff took a 10-3 lead with a converted try.
Within a minute of the second half starting, Rockliff broke through midfield and as the ball carrier was brought down on the fivemetre line by the youngest of the Edmundsons.
He threw the ball high back over his shoulder and it was caught by a supporting runner to crash in for their second converted try, and a 17-3 lead.
A Ryan penalty cut the deficit to 17-6, but the home side scored the final points of the game on 66 minutes to stretch their lead.
The ferocity of the contest continued at the breakdown and saw Rockliff penalised, eventually having a player sent to the bin at the death. But too little too late for Sunderland to capitalise on.