Sandal RUFC consolidate top six place with bonus point victory

Considering the visitors came as the least successful club in Regional One North East this season they produced a spirited performance before being overwhelmed by their hosts, whose side was much changed from the previous week as a result of injuries and unavailability.

Playing with the slope in the first half, Sandal did not make the best of starts when in the fifth minute Bridgford kicked ahead, the ball was fumbled over the goal-line by the defending player, enabling the attacker to touch down.

The extras were added to give West Bridgford an early 7-0 lead.

Fortunately, this early setback prompted Sandal to knuckle down and go on the attack. They were awarded two penalties which took play into the opposition 22 from where from a line-out a maul was formed resulting in a pushover try for Adam Hopkinson.

With Jake Adams kicking the conversion the score was now level at 7-7 after 13 minutes.

But five minutes later West Bridgford took the lead again with a second try, which was created by excellent running rugby from within their own half. With the extras tagged on they led 14-7.

Sandal then had their chances with telling breaks by James Ellar and Jake Adams, but in both cases poor finishing prevented positive results.

Not all was lost because in the 25th minute the home side again went on the attack to give a chance for Hopkinson to cross for his second try. With Jake Adams’ conversion kick finding its target Sandal had again drawn level at 14-14.

They then took the lead with a Jake Adams penalty.

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Encouraged by taking the lead, the home side continued to attack and with a penalty kick finding touch in the bottom corner the scene was set for another score.

This came when, from a scrum on the visitors’ five-metre line, Cam Allen broke blind and found Dom Fawcett who made no mistake in touching down.

The conversion was missed, but Sandal had extended their lead to 22-14 with this score remaining until the interval.

As the second half got under way it soon became obvious that Sandal had victory in their sights when West Bridgford received a yellow card, quickly followed by Ben Reynolds crashing over for a bonus point try, which Jake Adams converted.

Then followed a period of calm for both sides until in the 54th minute Bridgford’s speedy, elusive winger made no mistake in breaking through Sandal’s scattered defence to score under the posts. The conversion was good to reduce Sandal’s lead to 29-21.

Unruffled, two minutes later Jake Adams converted his second penalty, which he followed with a third after to take the hosts back to 14 points in front.

The remaining 20 minutes became something of a stalemate with Sandal being pinned in their own half, but defending their line intelligently with a continuous flow of relieving kicks to touch.

Sandal’s victory finally came with the score remaining at 35-21 with five league points having been secured ensuring the side’s consolidation of sixth place in the table.

This Saturday they are away to York.