Under 14
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Newcastle 31 - Sandbach 10 |
Sun 14 November 99
Weakened to 14 men by Rememberance Day parade duties Sandbach U14's travelled to nearby Newcastle on Sunday 14th November.
Despite their man disadvantage the match started well for Sandbach. They held their own well in the set forward play and refused to let Newcastle into their stride. Good ball retention from the forwards was rewarded with an early try from centre Jason Ashwin. Unfortunately the angle and a strong breeze were too much for kicker Andy Rollings and the try went unconverted.
Newcastle came back strongly and from a missed tackle in the Sandbach defence scored under the posts to lead 7 -5. Sandbach were however in strong mood and great attacking play involving the entire side saw an Ashwin break to the line followed up well by his forwards. Prop Chris Gooch broke with the ball and although he was tackled just a metre from the line, he went to ground and set up well for winger Mike Huss to nick the ball and fly over in the corner. Again the angle was too difficult for Chris Greenhalgh to convert.
Newcastle again came back at Sandbach well and another try under the posts saw the sides turn around at half time at Newcastle 14 - Sandbach 10.
The second half was also closely contested but towards the end the luck of the bounce and the one man advantage saw Newcastle through to a 31 -10 win. The score was flattering to the home side. Sandbach contested well and had they not been very unlucky with a wicked bounce that wrong footed full back Mike Eyers and gave Newcastle an easy opportunity to go ahead by 19 -10 the visitors could well have come away with a victory or at worse at much narrower defeat.
Despite the defeat some good positives for Sandbach. Second row paring Dan Faulkner & Neil Wagstaff are beginning to look like a very solid combination. Mike Eyers again showed his strong nerve at full back, receiving a number of high kicks and turning them into good Sandbach possession with strong direct return running. Flanker Matt Graveney was at his best, stealing loose ball possesion time and again when the odds looked heavily stacked against him. Front row forwards Ollie Lawrence, Chris Gooch & Ewan Henry were solid in the scrum and also got themselves about the park to contribute in the loose. Flanker Stewart McCracken (returning after injury) had a number of good runs until he pulled a hamstring towards the end of the first half and had to manage the rest of the game at half pace.
The half-back pairing of Tom Hodgkinson & Chris Greenhalgh combined well to get the back line moving and again centres Ashwin & Walton and wingers Huss & Rollings showed an uncanny understanding with some snappy handling moves - one of which was simply too good for the referee who called a brilliantly executed scissors move between Ashwin & Walton as obstruction !
Sandbach entertain Altrincham in the forst round of the Cheshire Cup on Sunday 28th November.
Sandbach scorers: Ashwin (try), Rollings (try).
Sandbach - Lawrence, Henry, Gooch, Faulkner, Wagstaff, McCracken, Graveney, Hodgkinson, Greenhalgh, Ashwin, Walton, Rollings, Huss, Eyers
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