Sale FC travelled to Old Bath Road on a cold but dry afternoon to take on the league leaders, Rams., who had earned an impressive maximum 55 points from their first 11 games.

The hosts started the game in the ascendency but the blue and whites took the lead against the run of play when Ricky Ma’asi-White made good ground before the ball was lofted wide for Tom Walsh to score in the corner. 0-5

The Berkshire side responded with a try of their own ten minutes later when Ant Marris crashed over from close range and Will Partington converted. 7-5

The dogs took the lead again in the 32nd minute when, after a prolonged spell of pressure from the forwards, the ball was moved into the hands of Tom Curtis who cut through a gap and stretched for the line, adding the conversion. 7-12

Back came the Rams as they pummelled the try line before Marris squeezed over for his second of the game and Partington added the extras. HT 14-12

Sale came out for the second 40 with a renewed sense of purpose and went back in front in the 48th minute when the catch and drive from a 5m lineout drove purposefully to the line with Oli Longmore touching down. 14-17

The topsy-turvy nature of the game continued as the hosts had a sustained period on our 5m line and after several reset scrums, which saw Tumy Onasanya shown a yellow card, a cross-kick was collected by Jack Rossiter to score. 19-17

The dogs retook the lead with a long distance penalty from Tom Curtis but couldn’t quite survive the time with 14-men as a catch and drive proved unstoppable. 24-20

With the game heading to its conclusion, the boys kept their composure to kick to touch, win the lineout and surge to the whitewash again with Oli Longmore scoring the crucial try and Tom Curtis converting. 24-27

With time in the red, the hosts were awarded a penalty on halfway but the penalty kick from Partington drifted wide to give the dogs a huge win FT 24-27

A terrific game between two top sides that could have gone either way, but the boys show tremendous character to take the full 5 points.

 

On a blustery but dry day, Sale FC took on mid-table Darlington Mowden Park at Heywood Road looking to stay in the race at the top of National League 1.

The visitors started the game in confident fashion and were soon ahead when a kick from Callum Pascoe squirmed through the hands of Nev Edwards allowing Oliver Hodgson to dot down. 0-5

Sale responded in the 11th minute, winning a 5m lineout and driving to the line for Josh Brown to continue his fine try scoring season; Tom Curtis added a superb conversion from out wide. 7-5

The dogs joy was short lived however as DMP came roaring back with 3 tries in the space of 10 minutes through Yaree Fantini, Henry Hadfield and Matthew Minogue. 7-24

The blue and whites needed some inspiration and it came in the form of the returning Jared Williams who was at the base of another strong rolling maul to dive over. HT 12-24

The men from the Northeast had been the better side in the first 40 but Sale came out for the second half with renewed intent and the fight back was soon underway when, after several penalties near the whitewash, the referee awarded a penalty try. 19-24

Opposition prop, Joshua Crickmay, was shown a yellow card after the preceding play and the dogs took advantage of the extra man when quick hands saw Mark Dixon offload for Nev Edwards to score in the corner. 24-24

Momentum was in Sale’s hands now and they took the lead when another 5m lineout was won and the rolling maul, a thing of beauty all afternoon, took us to the line for Josh Brown to score his second of the game. 29-24

With two minutes to go, Oli Longmore wrapped the game up for Sale from yet another catch and drive before DMP got a deserved second bonus point with a try from Callum Pascoe. FT 34-31

The proverbial game of two halves with the dogs producing a superb second half performance to earn the spoils against a good visiting side who gave everything.