Guardian Sport

Sandbach stretch league lead to 17 points

10:57am Thursday 19th January 2012

Broughton Park 5 Sandbach 49

SANDBACH ran in seven tries against hosts Broughton Park to rack up yet another bonus-point win and move a massive 17 points clear at the top of North One West.

Old rivals Broughton Park were put to the sword as Sandbach’s tactic of keeping possession and tiring the home side out worked wonders.

They will need to try differing tactics when travelling to mid-table Wirral on Saturday, but confidence is high in the camp and even a forthcoming ‘derby’ against North-wich can put them off their stride.

Park started brightly and had the opportunity to take a 3-0 lead early on, choosing instead to run the ball and being held out by stern Sandbach defence.

The visitors’ choice of tiring out the oppositon did not start to pay dividends until 20 minutes, when a series of five oick and drives stretched the hosts to breaking and scrum half Mark Bird nipped under the cover defence to touch down, Cargill converting.

Cargill was soon getting in on the act himself, working off the back of good line out play to dart over from 15 metres and add the conversion himself.

Sandbach closed out the half at 21-0 ahead, as the predatory Jack Leech crossed wings to beat two tiring defenders and slip the ball to Dan Massey, who obliged from close range and handed Cargill another conversion.

Park once again started well after the restart, but superb defence from man-of-the-match Ali Burton and prop Gaz Caen forced the hosts to cough up possession one too many times and Massey sprinted away to touch down Sandbach’s fourth try of the afternoon.

Again Cargill took the extras.

Park kept at it, finally rewarded for their hard work with a nice forwards try, but in reality there was only ever going to be one winner.

Taking the opportunity to introduce two promising 18-year-olds from the Bradwall Road Production Line, Sandbach sent on winger James Beal and prop Ben Twemlow, with both making a positive impact.

Tremlow was rock solid in defence but Beal made the impact on the scoreboard, rounding two defenders with ease to touch down within two minutes of his introduction.

Within five minutes he had scored again, Park losing the ball while attacking the Sandbach 22 and Beal was on hand to use his pace to devastating effect, with Cargill converting both.

They completed the rout with arguably the best try of the game, as Burton ran into the gap created by a clever reverse flip from Bird just off the edge of a ruck and Cargill tagged on his seventh conversion to send Sandbach home happy.

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