South Lancs & Cheshire Division 1
Hoylake 19 Sale F.C. 25
After six weeks of inaction, Sale moved into 4th place in the league with this late, late win on the Wirral and in so doing outscored the home side by four tries to one.
Sale opened the scoring on eight minutes when fine inter-passing between Jack Moorhouse, Paul Kelly & Carwyn Williams finally released Dave Blackwell to touch down for the opening try. Hoylake narrowed the gap with a penalty on 12 minutes when Sale were caught offside, but a flowing backs move midway through the half saw the veteran Paul Kelly, playing his first game for the 1st team in almost two years, round off matters with a try converted by Mike Raikes for a 12-3 Sale lead.
Two penalties in quick succession just after the half hour put Hoylake back in the match, and following a scrum in the Sale “22” in the final minute of the half, gained the lead with a try superbly converted from wide out for a 16-12 lead at the break.
Sale started the second half well with a fine run by Andrew Baston straight from the kick off, but it took almost 20 minutes to regain the lead when Carwyn Williams finished off a neat backs move to score his first try for the Club and put Sale 17-16 ahead, before a fourth successful Hoylake penalty restored their advantage to two points with some twenty minutes remaining.
Play then ebbed and flowed mainly in mid-field as Sale found it difficult to break through a resolute Hoylake defence and it looked at though the hosts would gain a much needed win against a Sale side that put almost 60 points on them in the earlier league game.
With only three minutes remaining Hoylake were penalised 30 metres from their own line and with the pressure all on the kicker, Mike Raikes struck an immaculate penalty to put Sale ahead back in front by single point. In the final minute with Sale again on attack a neat chip by Tom Holloway down the blind side saw Jack Moorhouse pick up the loose ball and touch down for the try to secure a deserved win.
Neil Thallon