South Lancs & Cheshire Division 1
Anselmians 50 Sale F.C. 12
Sale played with a total lack of passion for seventy minutes of this match and suffered one of their worst defeats for many years. That, and a master class in goal kicking from former Orrell and Ireland full back Simon Mason, with success in ten kicks from eleven attempts told a sad tale.
Sale played against the strong wind in the first half and it took some twenty minutes of play before
they moved out of their own half. By that time Mason, playing at stand off, had already converted two penalties, but despite Anselmians’ domination of territory there was little constructive rugby on show. Mike Raikes was unlucky with a couple of penalty attempts into the wind with the first hitting an upright and bouncing safe and the second just passing wide of the posts, but realistically Sale had produced nothing of note.
Anselmians extended their lead approaching the half hour when a flowing move ended with a try wide out on the left superbly converted, before Sale managed to get more into the game after an Anselmians second row was yellow carded. We constantly attacked the hosts line in the closing minutes of the first half but good defensive work kept us at bay until frustration overcame patience with a hurried drop goal attempt going well wide. Anselmians cleared their lines and a minute later gratefully accepted another three points from a penalty in our own “22” for a 16-0 half time lead.
Two more Mason penalties in the first four minutes of the second half effectively put Anselmians well clear, and with the hour approaching Sale had No. 8 Alex Bowen yellow carded and the home side used the extra man advantage to good effect scoring a second converted try.
There had been few signs of determination from Sale in the second half until Andrew Baston charged in for a try on 60 minutes converted by Raikes, but Anselmians added two more converted tries in quick succession before we at last tried to produce some cohesive rugby. Whilst the play improved we still contrived to have a pass intercepted as the home winger raced in unopposed for a converted try, before Mike Raikes scored the final try of the afternoon and even then the conversion from in front of the posts was missed. It was that sort of day.
Neil Thallon