South Lancs & Cheshire Division 1
Warrington 10 Sale F.C. 15
This game was switched from Warrington’s ground to Heywood Road due to the start of the cricket season and with Sale having a much weakened side, owing to injuries and representative call up’s, came away with a win despite a nervy start. Warrington took the play to us in the opening exchanges and within three minutes scored a fine try when play was opened out and a successful conversion gave them a 7-0 lead. The visitors had a couple of penalty chances and were successful with one to extend their lead to 10-0 on the quarter hour.
A fine break by Tom Lucas looked to be leading to a try before possession was lost just short of the Warrington line. Sale were now starting to get into the match and a charging run by John Blanchard saw the big second row blast through the defence from 20 metres, taking a couple of tacklers with him to score a fine try and narrow the gap to just five points. Whilst the match was an even affair for the remainder of the half it was not a classic, and both sides let chances for further points go begging.
Sale started the second hald more positively and Andrew Jibson kicked an early penalty to put us two points behind and ten minutes into the half a Warrington move ended in disaster as Jody Pryor intercepted a pass and ran 70 metres to score under the posts. Jibson added the conversion to put us five points in front but again the play drifted with neither side able to gain a hold on the match. Warrington put in a couple of attacks late in the game but these were nullified firstly by a fine 40 metre break from John Pickthall, and then an excellent clearance kick from Graham Oglethorpe playing his first 1st XV match for five years.
Whilst not a classic this was a satisfactory result for us given the circumstances.
Neil Thallon