South Lancs & Cheshire Division 1
Sale FC 21 Winnington Park 23
Despite a bright start Sale lost this match to a successful Park penalty in the last play of the game.
In all truth the Sale play was disjointed with a general lack of commitment in evidence despite coming back from 7-20 down to lead 21-20 with ten minutes remaining. The start of the game was in complete contrast as a poor pass by the visitors allowed Mike Raikes to kick ahead and burst through the defence unopposed to collect the loose ball and score a converted try under the posts in just three minutes.
The game then drifted with neither side able to control the match and although a Brookes penalty mid-way through the half narrowed the gap for the visitors’, it was a lacklustre performance by both sides, with Sale again not helped by conceding needless penalties and giving promising possessions away on countless occasions.
Park mounted an early attack at the start of the second half and scored a try from short range, before repeating the exercise five minutes later when No. 8 Moriarty scored their second try, both of which Brookes converted for a 17-7 lead. The Park stand-off then extended their lead to 20-3 on the hour as Sale were penalised for offside.
With less than a quarter of the game to go Sale briefly sparked into life and a fine flowing move ended with Simon Ensor touching down and Raikes converting from wide out to narrow the gap to six points. An outstanding break from Jack Moorhouse then carved open the visitors’ defence before they were subsequently penalised for offside, and taking the scrum rather than a kick at goal, it was Moorhouse who scored a fine try for Raikes to add the conversion for a one point lead.
Winnington responded with vigour, but Sale were apparently coping with the pressure before the final transgression of being caught offside and losing the game to the final kick.
Neil Thallon