Sandbach stay top after crushing Rochdale (From Crewe Guardian)

Sandbach stay top after crushing Rochdale

2:32pm Thursday 24th November 2011 in More sport

Sandbach 29 Rochdale 5

SANDBACH maintained their three-point lead at the top of the North One West with a comfortable bonus-point home victory over Rochdale.

Relegated from the National League Three last season, Rochdale are a much better side than their current league position suggests and controlled large parts of this game, failing to capitalise on their advantage and turn it into points.

Sandbach now have a week off before resuming their defence of the top spot on the road at Carlisle, but will be watching the results with interest as main rivals Liverpool St Helens and Widnes go head to head in a battle for second place.

Changes at 9, 13 and 15 threatened to derail Sandbach's superb run of results against Rochdale, but instead the respective replacements enjoyed an excellent start, with Jack Leech stunning the visitors with his raw pace.

Leech was instrumental in the first try, beating his winger on the outside and drawing the full back before slipping Richard Murray in to open the scoring.

The speedy winger notched Sandbach's second of the afternoon just four minutes later, showing superb acceleration to beat the defenders to the corner.

But Rochdale were in no mood to lie down, using their strong pack to grind away at the hosts' defence and put themselves in position for a pushover try shortly before half time.

The reaction from the home side showed why they were always going to walk away with the result on the day.

Captain Will Cargill beat his man and fed Matt Jackson, who in turn fed the bursting run of Leech and he sprinted over for his second try of the game, Cargill converting.

The second half was a dour affair in comparison, with both sides struggling to find their footing, but that did not stop the hosts from touching down twice more.

First prop Matt Beesley found himself in a position to sprint for the line from 30 metres out, dragging the defender over with him as he crashed onto the line.

Then Matt Jackson completed the scoring in the final moments, making the most of the tiring defence to bounce off two tackles and dash over the line from 30 metres out.