Winnington Park 1st XV 21-19 Sandbach 1st XV
Saturday 29th November – Kick-off 2.15pm
Northern Division – Regional 2 North West
Burrows Hill, Northwich

A late fightback wasn’t enough for Sandbach as they succumbed to a second loss in a row on Saturday.

Sandbach made the short trip to Northwich to face local rivals Winnington Park and were determined to get back to winning ways after last week’s loss to North Ribblesdale. However, Winnington Park had won their last four games and their confidence was high.

It wasn’t the ideal start for Sandbach, when Winnington Park claimed their own kick-off despite a miss kick. The hosts would go on to pick up an early kickable penalty and Sandbach were trailing by three points.

Sandbach’s lineout needed work early on and penalties were swapped and scrums were reset as both teams tried to adapt to the wet conditions. There was an early break for the visitors when full-back Matt Randle and winger Spike Street made chase, but the move only led to a knock on.

Winnington Park scored the first try of the match, which started from a planned move from a lineout. Sandbach were scrambling and despite a solid tackle from lock Callum Oakden, Park slipped through for the try.

Sandbach responded positively and had a strong attack when Street linked with centre Harry Leese and scrum-half Laurie Essenhigh. That attack resulted in a Sandbach lineout and minutes later Street was attacking again. It took three tackles to bring the dynamic winger down, with the last one resulting in an injury for the youngster. Play went on and Leese scooped up the ball after a neat chip through and barrelled over the line for a Sandbach try.

Winnington Park scored again several minutes later as Sandbach struggled to regroup from a quick tap-and-go penalty. As the half drew to a close, Sandbach’s defence stood firm as Park couldn’t make any further gains. Sandbach had a player sent to the sin bin and the home side took three more points from a penalty as the hosts went in leading 16-5.

Early in the second half, Sandbach were still a player short as Winnington Park’s powerful scrum moved them over the try line for their third try. Sandbach desperately needed to get a foot in the game and their fightback began with some fast-attacking play from Leese who setup Randle on the wing. The full-back side stepped a Winnington Park defender and he kicked forwards. A few plays later and from a Sandbach scrum, they secured a penalty. Randle’s kick to touch moved them to within ten metres and the rolling maul from the lineout edged them closer. Centre Ed Vitta got close to the line from an Essenhigh pass and due to an infringement, the referee immediately awarded a penalty try to Sandbach and issued a yellow card Winnington Park.

Following this, Sandbach camped out in the host’s half as they picked up repeated penalties. Essenhigh got close with a sniping run from five metres out but was held up. There were big carries from Ryan Arundale and Oakden, however, Park held them back.

It was a quick tap penalty that put Sandbach within two points as Oakden received the ball and went over for the score, but time was running out. Play was frantic as replacement Rhys John, Leese and Vitta all took the ball into contact as they edged forwards with ball in hand and a late penalty pushed Sandbach up the field. However, it wasn’t meant to be and an overthrown lineout was snatched by Park and the match shortly ended. Winnington Park won 21-19 but Sandbach’s spirited fightback gained them a losing bonus.

On Saturday, Sandbach return to Bradwall Road to take on bottom placed Altrincham Kersal. The visitors have yet to win this season but they have managed to pick up five try scoring bonus points and five losing bonus points, so will be looking to attack as they search for a win.

It’s only a matter of time until it clicks back into place for Sandbach and with home advantage on Saturday, they will be hoping for a return to winning ways.

Match report by Rhys Fullerton

Next match:
Sandbach 1st XV Vs Altrincham Kersal 1st XV
Saturday 6th December – Kick-off 2.15pm
Bradwall Road, Sandbach