CARGILL PUTS BOOT IN TO SECURE WIN FOR SANDBACH, BUT LONGTON LOSE
SANDBACH returned to winning ways in Midlands Premier with a 27-25 home success against Bridgnorth.
Sandbach were forced to dig deep, especially in the closing stages as they played with 14 men, but the kicking of Will Cargill proved to be decisive in the end.
The hosts started strongly despite the wind blowing across the ground and a temperature just above freezing, with their handling looking slick and threatening whenever they had the ball.
They opened the scoring after 10 minutes with a neat blindside move that released winger Ryan Barrett and his inside pass saw James Preston sprint away under the posts. Cargill added the conversion.
Almost straight away Sandbach suffered from what was to be a long list of penalties against them and Bridgnorth’s fly-half Elliot Murphy knocked it over to reduce the deficit.
The penalty count began to mount, with the breakdown being the primary source in the visitors’ favour and a kick to the corner and subsequent lineout drive, saw a simple blindside break to put North scrum-half Gareth Bladen over.
Sandbach then had a decision in their favour with Cargill’s trusty boot inching them back ahead.
Sandbach appeared to have the edge in the scrum and a resulting penalty, saw a kick to the corner.
Though the throw went adrift, as many did all afternoon as a result of the late withdrawal of hooker Alex Bishop, Bridgnorth lost control and Ali Burton capitalised on the error for an opportunist try. Cargill again judged his conversion expertly against the wind.
North were however beginning to win a succession of penalties particularly at the breakdown and after a series of them referee Ryan Owens lost patience with the home team and Burton received a yellow card.
Bridgnorth took advantage of the extra numbers and skipper Jonah Boyce was driven over. Critically the conversion drifted wide from Murphy and Sandbach held a slender 17-13 lead at the break.
Sandbach came out firing despite being a man down and as Bridgnorth came under pressure they too lost a man to the bin, as forward Bradbury felt the wrath of the referee.
Sandbach exerted their advantage in the scrum, resulting in Bridgnorth having to reinforce the back row with centre Parker, as Sandbach then exploited the extra space out wide to work winger Elliott Morris in at the corner. Cargill’s beautifully judged kick on the wind saw the home team looking good at 24-13 ahead.
This was short lived when their adventure backfired, and a pass went down and Bridgnorth winger Burgess gratefully accepted the gift to reduce the gap.
Sandbach then lost winger Barrett for 10 minutes for a deliberate knock on.
Down to 13, Sandbach were under the cosh but held up, but the returning Burton did not last long, as from another rolling maul from a line-out, saw a penalty try awarded, with Burton leaving the field for good as a result of his second yellow.
Sandbach dug deep and electing to keep the ball in hand, worked a position to be awarded a penalty in the visitors’ territory and the reliable Cargill snuck them ahead.
What followed was 10 minutes of desperate pressure and North’s Murphy did have the chance to steal it with minutes to go, but the strong wind saw his long-range effort drift wide.
So, when Sandbach won a penalty at the death with a powerful scrum surge, Cargill was happy to boot the ball dead to finish the game.
· LONGTON were beaten 29-10 at home by Moseley Oak in Midlands Two West North.
The game started badly for Longton as they allowed the Oak kick-off to bounce, giving the visitors the chance to scoop up the ball and move it quickly down the left flank to score in the corner.
For the next 10 minutes, Longton exerted pressure on the away
22, but they couldn’t find a way through the visitors’ well-organised defence.
They did finally manage to get on the scoresheet when Adam ridge was driven over.. and they made it 10-5 when Eroni Lequai was driven over after Moseley had been temporarily reduced to 14 men.
With the advantage of the wind, it looked as Longton would be able to push on for victory. However, it was not to be as a period of almost constant penalties against them allowed the visitors to launch a wave of attacks with the backs in particular now looking increasingly lively.
It was almost inevitable that with so much possession and territory they would find ways of breaching the Longton defence.
With 20 minutes to go Moseley Oak scored their second unconverted try to draw level at 10-10.
Longton then lost Ridge to a yellow card, giving the visitors an even greater advantage.
From the kick-off after the try Oak won the ball and moved it wide right to score their next try which was converted to put them ahead.
Two more tries in the final 15 minutes gave Oak their victory and left Longton rueing the penalty count against them.