Blaydon cling on despite visitors’ fightback

A BOTTOM of the table clash that started with Blaydon running in three early tries ended with them desperately hanging on to a precarious lead and their opponents knocking on over the line in the last play of the game.

Just 70 seconds were on the clock when Dan Marshall burst into the Sheffield 22 and drew his man to send in Jack Appleton, and on seven minutes hooker Matt Thompson crossed from close range to make it 12-0.

In their first attack Sheffield hit back through winger Gareth Morley, who was in support of a lightning raid down the left but the home side struck again when Dan Marshall intercepted to race in.

By the interval it was 1912 after Stephen Depledge had scored a typical scrumhalf's try from a short lineout, adding the conversion himself and then a brace of penalties just after the restart.

At this stage however, Blaydon were in the ascendancy and grabbed a bonus try by Andy Miller from constant pressure, and then a fifth when Appleton stormed into the 22 and finished off the move in the corner.

At 29-18 Sheffield looked out of it, but were able to regain the initiative and dominate the home scrum.

They pushed Blaydon off their own ball and from the re-set pushed them again for No. 8 Jonathon France to get the touch.

Sheffield pushed at the death but couldn’t score.