Sat 9 Nov 2024, 14:15
After an absence of first team fixtures between the clubs of more than 20 years, Eccles entertained Sandbach on Saturday in a high-scoring game where the visitors took the 5-point win and the hosts collected a loosing bonus point and the bonus of no casualties.
With the teams separated by 14 points in Regional 2 North West, Sandbach (3rd) arrived in confident form with just one defeat in six games. Promoted Eccles (10th), decimated by injuries have so far struggled to find winning form or a consistent line up this season, and sitting third from bottom were desperate for a win to end their four-match losing run.
Following the loss of Parkinson and Golding to A&E at Vale Of Lune, Candland was reinstated at centre, Fortune moved to the wing and Aitken made his Front Row debut. Ayanlaja-lowo, Salacha and Booth were retained in the back row, the new half-back pairing of Jones and Holland started, with Bishop, Brennand and Speakman brought in to the bench.
The opening 10 minutes were physical with both teams probing for gaps and forcing handling errors. Sandbach opened the scoring through a scrum inside the Eccles half, middle of the pitch, with the number 8 carrying up the blindside creating an overload and putting in the fullback who squeezed in at the flag to score. An excellent conversion added the extras.
11’ TRY SANDBACH. CONV. 0-7.
Eccles responded from the restart, regaining possession, attacking with speed and winning a penalty at the breakdown. A quick tap penalty released Ackers-Johnson out on the right wing and with a strong fend off, he burst through the defence to score.
15’ TRY ECCLES. 5-7.
At the restart Eccles put Sandbach under pressure. An attempted clearing kick was charged down inside the 22, Reed reached to collect possession and was tackled without the ball but stand-off Holland was alert to the opportunity and pounced to score to the side of the uprights to put Eccles ahead.
18’ TRY ECCLES. CONV 10-7.
The game remained a tight, physical contest for next 10 minutes, with Read, Reed and Booth working hard, until Ayanlaja-lowo failed to retreat at a Sandbach penalty inside the Eccles 22 and was sent to the bin.
27’ YELLOW ECCLES.
The subsequent penalty to Sandbach, 5 meters out, resulted in a score.
28’ TRY SANDBACH. 10-12.
Minutes later another Sandbach Penalty was kicked to the corner. The line out was overthrown and Eccles regained possession 5 meters from the goal line but Holland’s kick was charged down and the visitors leapt on the loose ball to score.
35’ SANDBACH TRY. 10-19.
Homegrown Ayanlaja-lowo returned to the pitch and went on to give a powerful performance at Blindside, regularly asking questions of the Sandbach defence. From one of these line bursts through the middle, Eccles earned a penalty. Read kicked deep to the corner but the fullback expertly saved the ball from making touch and Sandbach survived, kicking the ball out to end the half.
HT 10-19.
Substitutions were made, Bishop for Reed in the front row, Brennand for Booth in the back row, Speakman for Murphy at Fullback. The first 20 minutes of the second half the game continued to be end-to-end as both teams moved the ball about. Eccles dominated attacking play for the opening exchanges. An Eccles line-out resulted in an effective rolling maul, with Openside Salacha splitting away from the back with the ball to score; Fortune converting with the boot.
47’ ECCLES TRY. CONV. 17-19.
From the restart, Sandbach win a midfield penalty. The ball was kicked to the corner, line out, driving maul, score.
51’ SANDBACH TRY 17-26 .
Eccles made a mess of the restart but Read made amends intercepting a pass inside Sandbach territory. Eccles flooded into attack and some slick passing between the marauding forwards released lock Hulbert to carry the charge and power over the line with the ball; converted by Speakman.
57’ ECCLES TRY. CONV. 24-26.
With 20 minutes remaining and at 4 tries each, the 2-point close contest took a change of direction when a series of penalty decisions disrupted the flow of the game and turned it in the visitor's favour.
From a midfield penalty to Sandbach the ball was kicked to the corner. Line-out, driving maul, score.
61’ SANDBACH TRY 24-31.
As Speakman wrapped his arms in a tackle, the ball hit his hand which was harshly judged as a deliberate knock on and he was sent to the bench.
69’ YELLOW ECCLES.
From the resulting penalty to Sandbach the ball was kicked to the corner. Line-out, driving maul, score.
70’ SANDBACH TRY 24-36.
Eccles attempted to respond but lacked the necessary accuracy in the line-out where ball was over thrown and caught by Sandbach at the back who moved it across the field for the winger to score in the corner.
74’ SANDBACH TRY. 24-41.
As the game ticked into the final minutes, Eccles ended with an attacking flourish, where excellent passing between wingers Fortune and Ackers-Johnson on the left flank resulted in a classy try for Fortune; converted by Speakman who had just returned to the field.
79’ TRY ECCLES. CONV. 31-41.
There was no further scoring. Eccles had played good rugby in phases but were unable to get the ball out to the edges often enough where they were at their most potent; Eccles had the edge in the scrum but had no answer to the Sandbach catch and drive maul. Ultimately another defeat where penalties and cards had proved costly. In the 20 minutes when Eccles had 14 men on the field, Sandbach scored 20 points. In the 60 minutes when the contest was 15 v 15 Eccles outscored their opponent. Food for thought as Eccles head to Altrincham Kersal next Saturday with the aim of claiming an away win against an opponent who are unbeaten at home so far this season.
FT 31-41.
Team - Keiron Reed, Jack Burdon (C), James Aitken, Nick Spooner, Ross Hulbert, Damola Ayanlaja-Lowo, Remi Salacha, Henry Booth; Llew Jones, Danny Holland; Gavin Akers-Johnson, Harry Candland, Byron Read, Chris Fortune, Harry Murphy. Replacements Jasper Bishop, Lee Brennand, Alex Speakman.
It was not all gloom on Saturday as the Eccles 2XV beat Sandbach 2XV 12-8 in a close contest to move up the NOWIRUL Division 1 table above Sandbach into 5th place. Away from home the 3XV lost 35-8 at Wigan and the 4XV lost 66-19 at Broughton.
Photos by Phil Suanders Hall.
