Owen hots his Water to sink Sale
Esher 31 Sale FC 29
Courtesy of Nigel Scott for the Rugby Paper.
Owen Waters’ nerveless conversion gave bottom of the table Esher a pivotal bonus point win over Sale. Esher made the worst possible start, conceding a Robert Povey try after just two minutes, but hit back with a George Simpson try and Waters conversion to make it 7-5 by five minutes.
Both sides tested the other’s defences and it was Esher who scored next, Daniel Rowland finishing off a searing Rob Dudley-Jones break. On the half hour Sale hit back, No.8 Ryan Parkinson going over from close range, and just before half-time Connor Doherty found a big hole to dot down and put Sale 19-14 ahead at the break.
Esher drew first blood in the second half with a Jack Walsh try but a mistake from the kick off let Sale back in, Doherty getting his second try. Esher then gained some ascendancy for 20 minutes, pressing hard. But on 70 minutes a rare Sale attack let Emiliano Calle Rivas score a drop goal to put Sale eight points ahead.
The final swing in the match then went Esher’s way – a Waters penalty cancelling out the drop goal, then a long counter attack saw Joseph Beckett score and Waters add the conversion to put Esher 31-29 ahead at the death and seal a valuable five points.
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