SUNDERLAND ROCKED BY BATTLING VULCANS
ASHBROOKE MEN OUTGUNNED BY WINLATON DESPITE BRACE OF TRIES FROM HUTCHINSON
A disjointed performance proved Sunderland’s undoingasWinlatonVulcans gave themselves hope in their battle to avoid the drop from Durham/Northumberland Division Two on Saturday.
Winlaton moved five points above bottom club Newton Aycliffe after sinking Sunderland 38-29.
Never expecting a straightforward pre-match build-up, Sunderland had their now customary matchday morning reshuffle to accommodate an injury to Chris Geehan and an absent Anth Dodds.
Dodds’ absence opened the door for colt Michael Holder to rise through the ranks from spectator to replacement.
Flanker Joe Arrowsmith returned with Grant Edmundson and Dan Gray in the back row and Ryan Buckley returned to the front row, while Brad Fish continued his comeback from injury at scrum-half and Colt Ben Hutchinson partnered him at fly-half.
Colt Fletcher Jackson partnered Dom Younger in the centres and Michael Heffernan came back at fullback, with Leon Ryan and Steven Wright making up the back three.
The drama continued as centre Scott Hughes dislocated his shoulder in the warm-up, bringing his afternoon to a premature end.
Winlaton started well enough and took an early lead as Sunderland failed to clear their lines, effectively allowing the opposition time on the ball to work through hands and crash over the try line under the posts.
The scores were evened up early in as Dan Gray showed and went as the defender bought the dummy.
Five further tries followed from a Winlaton side who are battling hard to avoid relegation. Sunderland scored five of their own tries converting two.
Sunderland elected not to contest Winlaton’s lineout, which presented free ball as the ball was spun out rather than mauled, and Sunderland though accurate with their own lineout, did not make good decisions once the ball was secure.
Sunderland’s tackling was weak at times allowing Winlaton’s backs to create many try-scoring opportunities especially their full-back, nominated as man of the match.
When Sunderland played their phases, they looked comfortable and, from a passage of play from lineouts, Ben Hutchinson took a pass from ruck 10 metres out to step his opposition and score the first of a brace he would secure.
Gray had a clear try ruled out as held up when that appeared to be a physically impossible feat by the tackler took him around legs over his shoulder. Leon Ryan put Wright in to score from a crossfield kick.
With time running out, Joe Arrowsmith was stopped by Winlaton’s last man when a try looked to be on, an overlap was squandered as Fish bounced a pass out, and, with the final play, Sunderland’s maul was stopped for Winlaton to take the game 38-29.
Sunderland may rue the missed opportunities that could have delivered a second losing bonus point.