Sandbach forfeit lead in Longton (From Crewe Guardian)

Sandbach forfeit lead in Longton

10:00am Friday 28th September 2012 in Sport

Longton 23 Sandbach 13

SANDBACH suffered their second defeat on the bounce on the road in Longton, forfeiting a 13-3 half time lead to a superb second-half performance from the hosts.

Both teams came out of the gates strongly with the Sandbach forwards in particular rampant in all phases of the game.

They were rewarded after three minutes, when Benny Elliot stroked over the visitor's first penalty after Longton were adjudged to have handled the ball in the ruck.

Seven minutes later Longton were again penalised for the same offence and, again, Elliot gladly took the three points to open a 6-0 lead.

The gritty hosts started to haul themselves back into the game and picked up their first points when Chris Buck took a fine penalty kick after Sandbach were adjudged to be playing the ball on the ground.

The penalties started to become a regular feature of the game and both sets of supporters found it difficult to understand the reasons for these penalties.

Luckily for the supporters they soon had a try to celebrate, Sandbach’s Chris Davenport executing an lovely sidestep on the 22-metre line and racing through to touch down the match's first try.

Elliot added the extras and the guests were sitting comfortably at the break.

An altercation in the tunnel at the break seemed to put some fire in the bellies of the home side, who emerged for the second half fired up and ready to play.

Within a minute of the kick-off Longton scrum-half Chris Moores picked up from the base of the scrum and scampered through almost unopposed to score an excellent individual try, with Buck taking the extra points.

When Sandbach centre Simon Verbickas was sin-binned for a high tackle, the game swung in the hosts favour and they started to eat up the gap between the sides.

Buck took three points from a penalty, before Longton’s Fijian centre Hendry Vaka ran in against the run of play with Buck converting and also adding a last-gasp penalty.

This weekend Scunthorpe visit Sandbach in the first ever meeting between these two clubs, kick off 3pm, and all are invited to attend Bradwall Road.