SUNDERLAND CLIMB TABLE AFTER KEY WIN
ASHBROOKE MEN SEE OFF BOTTOM SIDE WINLATON VULCANS
Sunderland climbed out of the bottom two in the league with a vital 20-10 victory over bottom side Winlaton Vulcans.
It was only their fourth home game of the season, having played seven of the opening 10 games as away fixtures.
Anth Dodds came in for lock Luke Victory and Harry Connell returned from injury to start on right wing.
Sunderland started with great pace but ball retention proved to be problematic with a string of dropped passes in open and contact areas, and forward passes preventing walk-in try-scoring opportunities from being taken.
Leon Ryan opened scored for Sunderland with a wellstruck long-range penalty on five minutes.
Winlaton capitalised on Sunderland’s sloppy ball retention, turning over possession to go in and score a converted try on 12 minutes.
Brad Fish sent a long box kick down the right wing for Harry Connell to gather at pace and then offloaded back to Fish in space with no one to beat five metres from the try-line, only for the referee to adjudge Connell had knocked on.
Fly-half Marc Edmundson pressurised Winlaton with great chases as they faced high balls, and was unlucky not to set left winger Ryan away with a grubber into space that just did not have the legs to get behind the final defender despite a secondary fly hack from centre Jack Hope.
Harry Connell scored Sunderland’s first try. As phases were played, the ball was worked back to him through midfield for him to outsprint his opposite number then kick behind the full-back into deadball area to touch down the try.
Number 8 Luke Robinson carried the ball well and, between him and front row duo Pete Harrison and Ryan Buckley, broke through attempted Winlaton tackles.
With the score poised at 8-7 at half-time, the Sunderland coaches urged their side to up the tempo but maintain momentum and their own ball.
Dom Younger came onto wing for Ryan and Chris Geehan replaced tighthead Ryan Buckley who had taken a knock to the eye.
Ball retention still presented continuity issues but Dom Younger helped Sunderland get onto the front foot with strong carries making hard yards into Winlaton territory.
Brad Fish picked out Pete Harrison as he charged through midfield and quickly-recycled ball found Jack Hope who had picked a great line to find space then crash over the try line. Connell kicked the conversion.
Hope was also held up over the try line by some great last-ditch tackling by Winlaton.
Jack Hope scored Sunderland’s final points after Winlaton had bagged a second score.
Dodds reacted to an overthrow from a lineout on right wing, dropping on the loose ball which was spun out wide on the left.
A phase or two later, Jack Hope was picked out to ghost through a gap and score his second, taking the final score to 20-10.
Sunderland Seconds were beaten by a well-organised Morpeth side.