Category: Results

Sale FC edge thriller against Moseley

Sale FC cause heartbreak for Birmingham Moseley at the CorpAcq Stadium.

Sale FC were off to a flying start courtesy of a Kieran Wilkinson converted try in the opening minute of this National League 1 fixture against Birmingham Moseley at the CorpAcq Stadium, quickly followed by a penalty on 4 minutes which Wilkinson slotted home from distance giving the home side a 10 points to nil lead.

The visitors narrowed the gap with a penalty scored just a minute later.

With Sale’s Spanish international fly half, Emiliano Calle Rivas, on his home debut, orchestrating play, Sale were soon on the scoresheet again when, following a well-controlled lineout, the ball was quickly moved through the backs to winger Anthony Bingham who finished the move with a try.

With Sale controlling the game, Birmingham conceded a series of penalties, culminating in their captain Sam Brown receiving a yellow card as Sale tried to take a quick penalty.

Matt Bradley scored Sale’s third try moments later, following another well drilled catch and drive by the Sale pack.

Emiliano Calle Rivas celebrates with Anthony Bingham after he scores his second of the match (c) All Star Photography – Mark Ferriss

After 20 minutes, Sale had opened up a 17 point lead; however a counter attack by Birmingham following a break by Sale’s Calle Rivas drew a penalty on the Sale 22 line for which Matt Bradley received a yellow card.

Birmingham were able to capitalise on the opportunity, hooker Ryan Roach scoring and Williams converting. Another penalty, kicked by Williams reduced the deficit, the score at half time Sale FC 20 Birmingham Moseley 13.

Within a minute of the restart, Sale conceded a penalty which Birmingham’s Williams duly despatched. Birmingham took the lead on 55 minutes when winger Alex Hearle latched on to a kick deep in Sale territory, and outpaced the covering defenders to score, Williams adding the extra points.

Sale were quick to regain the advantage from a scrum on the opposition 5 metre line, number 8 Tom Ailes picking up from the base and driving over the line despite close attention from the opposition defence.

In the final quarter, Sale extended their lead with a try from Neil Briggs, converted by Wilkinson. The visitors responded with a try on 70 minutes from winger Roach, Williams quickly drop kicking the extra points to hurry the match along.

Matt Bradley crosses the try line to score for Sale FC (c) Gareth Lyons Photography

In the final 10 minutes both teams dug deep into their energy reserves, Sale regularly finding Johnny Leota to take on the opposition defence.

Pressure eventually told as a penalty awarded to Sale gave Calle Rivas the opportunity to find touch deep in the opponent’s half.

A textbook catch and drive had Sale putting the Birmingham defence under severe pressure before a quick release along the backs arrived in the safe hands of Anthony Bingham on the wing with one man to beat, and 15 metres to run. Mission accomplished!

Kieran Wilkinson narrowly missed the conversion from a tight angle leaving Sale to run down the last few minutes and secure a vital 5 points from this hard fought encounter.

Final Score Sale FC 37 – Birmingham Moseley 30

Kieran Wilkinson in full flow kicking the ball for a conversion (c) Mark Ferriss Photography

Rosslyn Park 31 Sale FC 26

Sale FC Rugby came away with two bonus points in a thriller at The Rock.

The hosts almost took the lead immediately as they collected debutant Emiliano Calle Rivas’ kick off and kicked long but Paolo Odogwu did well to win a foot race with the pacy winger to earn a 22m drop out.

The relief was short-lived though as Park moved the ball quickly in their next attack allowing winger, Fadahunsi, to score in the corner and Lound added the extras. 0-7

The blue and whites bounced back almost straightaway though as, after several phases, Johnny Leota put a cute kick through the defensive line for Odogwu to pick up and score under the posts leaving an easy conversion for Calle Rivas. 7-7

Odogwu was denied another potential try when he intercepted a pass near his own try line but, as he turned on the afterburners, the ref pulled play back for an earlier penalty.

Matt Postlethwaite in hot pursuit of Rosslyn Park’s Charlie Amesbury (c) David Whittam Photography

The home side then began to dominate proceedings and scored two identical tries as, turning down the opportunity of 3 points, they kicked to the corner, won the lineouts and forwards Munro and Ellis powered over from close range. 7-21

Sale’s task was made even harder in the 25th minute when scrum-half, Matt Bradley, was adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball on as the red and whites broke again (although footage after the game showed that the ball was actually knocked backwards by an attacking player).

From the penalty, Park again opted for touch and scored their bonus point try in similar fashion to their previous two with Ellis again touching down.

Half-time 7-28

Neil Briggs go in to make a tackle on the Rosslyn Park player (c) David Whittam Photography

Sale came out for the 2nd half with a new sense of purpose and were quickly on the front foot, forcing errors from the hosts that had not been seen in the first 40 minutes.

With Emi dictating play, the boys patiently built an attacking position before Jack Moorhouse spotted a gap in the defensive line to score under the posts which Emi converted. 14-28

The blue and whites were now in the ascendency with another debutant, Ed O’Keeffe, looking lively at full-back but, try as they might, they were unable to make any further impact on the scoreboard.

With ten minutes to go, replacement Kieran Wilkinson offloaded superbly for Matt Postlethwaite to stride away in midfield but the linesman indicated a forward pass and from the scrum, Park were awarded a penalty which Grove converted. 14-31Time was now firmly against Sale but they gave themselves a lifeline with a couple of minutes remaining as the forwards won a lineout and mauled towards the line with Leota hopping over from the base of a ruck to score, Wilkinson hitting the post with an attempted drop-kick conversion. 19-31

This, ultimately, was to prove crucial as it allowed time for one further play and as the boys kept the ball alive deep in their own half, Odogwu produced a moment of individual brilliance, slithering through the massed ranks before searing away from the covering defence to score in the corner.

Wilkinson added a fine conversion before the ref blew the whistle to end proceedings with Sale’s late, late show earning what could be 2 crucial bonus points.

Full-time 26-31

Sale win a thriller over the Titans.

Sale FC get the win over the Rotherham Titans in an epic battle.

Stone Priestley-Nangle drives the ball into the Titans defence (c) Gareth Lyons Photography

A dogged display on a gloomy, chilly afternoon saw Sale FC defeat Rotherham Titans by a single point in this tense National League 1 fixture.

Despite the conditions, both teams looked to get on the front foot, but solid defence and occasional handling errors limited scoring opportunities.

The breakthrough came on 20 minutes when, following some sustained Titans pressure, full back Callum Irvine burst into the Sale 22, although well martialled by the Sale defence, Titans’ second row Kieran Frost was able to drive over the line. Ellis Abrahams added the extra points.

Sale attacked from the restart with full back Jonty Rawcliffe sending a succession of towering kicks deep into the Titans’ 22.

A critical moment in the game came on 27 minutes when a late, high tackle on Rawcliffe earned Titans’ Luis Ball a yellow card and a 10 minute stay in the sin bin.

From the penalty, Rawcliffe found touch 10 metres from the Titans’ try line from which Sale forwards mounted a succession of driving mauls , inching their way to the line and prop Joe Kelly diving over from two metres leaving Sale trailing by just two points.

Two minutes in to the second half, Titans’ winger Henry Roberts exploited a gap in the Sale defence sprinting to the line and scoring in the corner.

Jonty Rawcliffe breaks through the Rotherham defence as Sale press hard for the score (c) Gareth Lyons Photography

Minutes later Sale levelled the score again when Rawcliffe powered in the Titans’ half, supported by substitute hooker Christian Taylor who skilfully off- loaded to Anthony Bingham whose lightening acceleration saw him score by the corner flag.

With Sale FC trailing by two points with almost 30 minutes remaining, neither team seemed able to take control of the match.

Then on 70 minutes, a slick Sale attack led to a penalty against Titans for offside. Matthew Bradley kicked the points giving Sale the lead and a final score of 13 – 12.

For the final 10 minutes of the match Sale exerted a robust and disciplined defence of their slender lead , with centre Johnny Leota taking the ball to Titans on every opportunity , creating a solid platform to retain possession and hold on to the lead.

Captain Andy Hughes blocks a kicks from Rotherham’s Joe Barker (c) Mark Ferriss – All Star Photography

Park End Sale’s Run

Match Report Saturday 20thOctober 2018

Sale FC 23 Rosslyn Park 31

With the weather set fair, and the sun shining on the CorpAcq Stadium since earlier in the morning, it was definitely the ideal setting for this National One League clash between two of the country’s oldest rivals in Sale FC and Rosslyn Park, who were 3rdand 9threspectively going in to match.

At the kick off, Sale wanted to take the game to their opponents this afternoon and got an early break thanks in part to the early pressure placed on Rosslyn Park’s Fly Half Greg Lound, who could only take his side up to just outside his own 22m zone, due to the pressure placed on him by the home side.

From the subsequent lineout, Sale seemed to lose the second of these early exchanges as they were adjudged to have infringed at the lineout, leading to a penalty for the visitors who were able to clear their lines, pushing Sale back towards their own half of the field. Read more here

Sale FC 2s earn a draw against Chester

Match Report

Following an encouraging start to the season last week Sale 2nd XV travelled to Chester expecting a tough challenge at last season’s league champions.

Sale started the game strongly, putting a number of phases together and Chester under pressure. However, Sale then conceded several penalties resulted in Ben Simpson going to the sin bin.  With the man advantage Chester camped on the Sale line and using the width of pitch released the wing to score…..Read More Here

Match Report Sale vs Luctonians

23RD WIN IN A ROW…JUST

On Saturday, Sale made the long cross-country journey to Herefordshire to take on Luctonians in their final game of the season. The blue and whites had already confirmed promotion two weeks ago but, for Luctonians, their goal was clear – they needed a bonus point win to avoid relegation and in hopeful anticipation, Mortimer Park was packed to the rafters.

The match started with both teams using their kicking games to good effect but it was Sale who made the first breakthrough. Following a mazy run from Chris Owen, the ref awarded a penalty to the visitors and, from the resulting scrum, the forwards pushed powerfully towards the try line with Tom Ailes diving over.  Read More Here