South Lancs & Cheshire Division 1
Sale F.C. 71 Vagabonds (IoM) 0
Sale turned a smouldering first half performance and a 10-0 half time lead, into a raging inferno in the second period scoring a further 61 points with 40 of those coming in the final 17 minutes.
The match opened with a salvo of kicks from either side before a fine fifty metre break from Andrew Baston secured the opening try on five minutes. Sale continued to dominate and Garry Blanchard went close before being brought back for a foot in touch. On ten minutes Cookie Williams broke through the Manx defence and released the backs for Jonny Edwards to cross for the try. Unfortunately for Mike Raikes’ conversion, the ball fell off the tee after he had started his run up and he had no chance of success.
Vagas gradually came into the match taking possession deep into Sale territory before Tom Hughes regained possession, but the move was stopped on half-way. Vagas continued to have the better of field position but too often chances went awry. Sale lost Tom Hughes to the sin bin on 26 minutes but Vagas missed a couple of penalties and we reached the break 10-0 ahead despite our play lacking the fluency we knew was possible.
We started the second half more in keeping with our abilities as a flowing backs move ended with Jack Moorhouse crossing for a try converted by Raikes, and ten minutes later a similar move ended with a second try for Jonny Edwards with Raikes again adding the extras. Next it was the forwards turn as the Manxmen couldn’t repel the Sale pressure and Dom Fraternali touched down from short range, and as Raikes again added the conversion, we were out of sight at 31-0.
If spectators thought this was enough and we would coast to the final whistle, nothing could have been further from the truth. On 63, Fraternali found Andrew Baston for the flanker to blast his way through the defence and run in for his second try. Raikes added the conversion and three minutes later it was Garry Blanchard going over in the corner for our seventh try. Almost from the restart Moorhouse carved through on midfield and outpaced the opposition for his second try and Raikes was again successful as we reached the half century of points.
In the final six minutes further tries from Callum Baldwin, captain for the day, crossed for his first try for the Club, and two further tries from Moorhouse plus three conversions from Edwards brought Sale their biggest win for almost five years.
Neil Thallon