Despite playing half the game with just fourteen men, Sandbach’s indomitable spirit got them over the line, for a hard-earned victory. Having held a narrow lead at the break, despite having limited possession, discipline was addressed in the second half to record the win, as they managed to play in the right areas of the park. The game was ill tempered at times, in tough conditions, with the wind and mud certainly not suiting the home team. But with a controlled performance in the second period, particularly well managed by their half backs, Sandbach’s fitness and defence told, to please the home crowd as they held out in a nail biter.

Before the game there was a minute’s applause, much like every ground in the country, in recognition of the memory of Jack Jeffrey, who sadly lost his life last weekend playing for Evesham RFC in a tragic rugby accident. Sandbach had an early opportunity when James Preston’s penalty attempt drifted wide, but generally it was a scrappy affair with plenty of penalties and errors in the difficult conditions. Both sides went down to fourteen for ten minutes as a big scuffle broke out, including the visitors bench in the fracas, which resulted in Sandbach’s Josh Longson and Syston’s Alex Cavner having a breather in the bin. Sandbach then lost winger Elliott Morris with a suspected broken nose following a high shot by the Syston second row. From the resulting penalty Sandbach made the visitors pay for their indiscretion, when after a couple of attempts they drove over the lineout, with skipper Jimmy Gore claiming the try. Full back James Preston adding the conversion.

The breakdown was certainly highly contested, with Sandbach regularly being penalised and this resulted in them coming under pressure. Strong defence managed to keep the promotion chasing opponents out, but after one too many penalties, Sandbach were again one down, as Ross Sutherland saw yellow. Having struggled to breakdown the resolute Bach defence, Syston elected to kick the subsequent penalty, with full back Fin Nockles doing the honours. He then repeated the dose on the stroke of half time, to narrow the gap to just a point at the break.

Sandbach despite still being short on numbers at the resumption, came out energised, and extended the lead with another catch and drive try. This time the sizable frame of Mark Irving crashing over. James Preston, critically landing the difficult kick against the wind. Midway through the half, Sandbach were back to fourteen for the rest of the game, as Longson received a second yellow for deliberately tripping up an opposition player, as they chased a kick through, meaning the home side really looked up against it. Syston immediately took advantage driving over the resulting kick to the corner, for hooker Craig Lockington to score. Nockles conversion making it a one-point game.

Remarkably this inspired the Bach and electing to take off a winger, and James Finucane coming into the back row, to ensure they had a full pack, this galvanised them further. The home side frustrated the visitors, keeping possession and ensuring they would have to score from deep in their own half. It was tense stuff, but the Sandbach boys held on and in the end just about deserved their win.

Sandbach will take great heart from this win, particularly as their opponents were flying high, having not lost in the previous six games. Next week is a free weekend for the Bach, which gives them a spell for a bit of rest and recuperation. However, the weekend after sees them travel to Scunthorpe, who despite not having their best campaign this season, are notoriously difficult to beat on their own patch, particularly at this time of the year.