Sandbach were made to work hard for their victory against an always dangerous Northwich side, but with smart game management, they by and large had the edge. The foundation of the victory was very much based on a strong set piece, limiting the visitor’s possession and with an icy wind blowing up the slope following earlier rain, it was a day for a pragmatic approach. Northwich competed and scrapped all the way and had a few outstanding individuals, but ultimately Sandbach managed the difficult conditions better, to end up deserved winners.

Northwich kicked off with the wind advantage, but it was Sandbach who started off the livelier. They took the lead from a James Preston penalty following a high tackle after just five minutes, but Northwich’s skipper Nick Baldwin equalised soon after, when Sandbach were penalised for obstruction. Baldwin’s kick from around the ten-metre line, illustrating the strength of the wind. The game was proving to be a tight affair, as the Bach then suffered a blow losing prop Max Beadle following a clash of heads in a driving maul, halfway through the half. Theo Hulbert replacing him in the front row, but happily Sandbach continued to have dominance at scrum time, meaning they were largely able to keep the visitors at bay despite the wind advantage.

Northwich did score however with an enterprising bit of play, which with Sandbach’s fullback deep due to the wind, Baldwin chipped over the onrushing defence to regather and that was enough to put their pacy fullback Ethyn Martin away, for a well worked try. Baldwin doing the honours with the conversion. Undeterred Sandbach quickly reduced the deficit with Preston’s second penalty and then took the lead five minutes later. This time they caught the home defence of guard with a quick tap penalty, with scrum half Laurie Essenhigh making good ground. Flanker Ali Burton than crashed through and quick ball from the ensuing maul, was enough to create space out wide and centre Jack Leech was over for the try. Five minutes before the break Northwich lost centre Davidson to the bin for a high tackle on Essenhigh, but Sandbach were unable to completely press home the advantage, as they went in at the break with a narrow lead 11 v 10 up.

It looked like with the wind now in their favour, Sandbach should pull away and straight from the kick off it seemed that way, as they scored their second try. An errant clearance kick by the Northwich back row hung in the wind and exposed their lack of players out wide, due to the yellow card. Sandbach’s counterattack picking off the outnumbered defence to put Leech in for his second. Preston knocking over a fine conversion. Northwich showed that given some ball they could be lethal, this being illustrated with a fine individual try from Martin. Fielding a long clearance kick, with a combination of pace, stepping and with a wiry strength the fullback slipped out of a couple of tackles and sprinted sixty metres for a quality try. Baldwin’s conversion bringing it back to just a point again with half an hour to go.

Sandbach stuck to their script and played territory and slowly built a lead, as Preston booted over three penalties as the pressure told. Despite not being able to add to the try column, Sandbach did enough to see the game home, even though a few driving lineouts and mauls came close, however it was enough to avenge the away defeat earlier on in the season.

Sandbach now enter a tricky phase of games which will very much define how their season will go. They travel to Rossendale next Saturday, the first of five matches away from home. The Marl Pits outfit were beaten on the road at Wirral on Saturday, meaning that Sandbach leapfrogged them into third place, so doubtless they will be highly motivated to put that right. Sandbach did narrowly win the corresponding fixture earlier in the season in a battling performance, but can expect another physical encounter, as both sides have plenty to play for.