Under 08

Sandbach 30 - Altrincham 15 Sun 18 February 2001 Despite a worry over how many players would turn out due to the combined effects of half term holidays and the flue-type bug that seems to have been around for ages, Sandbach fielded a more or less full squad. Altrincham, on the other hand were more affected (they had all gone off skiing) and so thanks go out to the 7 Altrincham players and parents who braved the fog to find their way to Sandbach so that we could have a game. Sandbach certainly came out of the starting blocks at a pace and put in a commanding first half performance. The first try came as a result of a half break which Altrincham just managed to tackle, but support was close at hand and a short quick pass left a clear run in. Further intelligent play followed with Sandbach moving the ball around into space and creating difficulties within the visitors defence. Four further tries followed as a result of this. With a half-time lead of 25 ? 0, Sandbach made 4 substitutions to give some of the less experienced newer players a chance to play together. This evened up the game more as the visitors were now able to penetrate the Sandbach defence and we were found lacking in cover on the wings. Nevertheless with over half of the team playing together for the first time in a match, they acquitted themselves well and will benefit from playing with the more experienced players. Try scorers: Joe Barton, William Bordill, Chris Burrows, William Jepson (2), Jordan Johnson. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Under 7?s Match Report: Sandbach 15 ? Altrincham 20 Slightly down on numbers, the U7?s borrowed a couple of players from the U8?s, and took on the Altrincham U8?s ? just hoping the first match would have worn them down. In a well-balanced game the team showed a good turn of speed, managing to run into the space that the visitors seemed intent on leaving. Defensively, the team showed good commitment to tackling and with a more disciplined line would have foiled more of the Altrincham attacks. However, once past the Sandbach defensive line, the older visitors were able to put their longer legs to good use and it was a hard job to match them for pace as they sprinted for the Sandbach line. The game proceeded with only one score separating the two teams until at the end of the second half when the Altrincham seized a loose ball and they were able to once more run the length of the pitch to take a narrow victory. The U7?s deserve congratulating on keeping the score line so close against a team of U8?s. Try scorers: Sean Tapper (2), Ben Sharp. Derek Jepson