Sandal 54 Cleckheaton15

Sandal RUFC registered an important victory at home against Cleckheaton, whose relegation has already been confirmed in Regional 1 North East, with an eight try romp to post an impressive 54-15 score-line. From Sandal’s point of view the result was important, as the season approaches its closing stages, because of having the ambition to remain in this league next season. That desire is still not totally secure since there are other sides who mathematically could overall Sandal and place the side in a play-off situation.
Playing against the slope the game started slowly with Cleckheaton showing determination and the will to put their opponents under early pressure. Then from a scrum in Sandal’s 22 the visitors ran the ball across the line to touch down in the bottom corner. The conversion was missed but Cleckheaton had taken a 5-nil lead after fifteen minutes. Three minutes later this lead was increased by adding a penalty. Being eight points adrift the time had come for Sandal to exercise their skills. This they did with the help of a penalty to take play and a line-out into their opponents 5 metre area from which a maul was formed to give Declan Thompson the opportunity to touch down and Tom Hodson added the extras in the 23rd minute. Sandal continued to put Cleckheaton under pressure and from a relieving kick Mihali Joannou gathered and made ground before handing on to Eddie Pitchford who ran 40 metres through a busy ineffective defence to score his first try, which Tom Hodson converted to give the home side a 14-8 lead. Cleckheaton continued to show enterprise with the result that after 31 minutes they scored a converted try to re-take a 15-14 lead. As half time approached Sandal got a little bogged down with pick and go exchanges until from a position close to the line a tap penalty was taken. The ball was spun across the line where it found Eddie Pitchford who was able to touch down in the corner, enabling Sandal to take a 19-15 lead into the break.
From the start of the second half Sandal defended well and continued to put Cleckheaton under pressure although neither side could find the way to add to the score. But then in the 52nd minute from a line-out Will Henshall broke free and from the break down Josh Hough barged over to score Sandal’s bonus point try and with Tom Hodson converting their lead was extended to 26-15. By now Sandal was slowly taking control when the ball was stolen from a Cleckheaton line-out and from an ensuing break down Declan Thompson gathered the ball and from 20 metres out sprinted to the line to touch down under the posts and with Tom Hodson’s conversion Sandal had taken an unassailable 33-15 lead. Four minutes later Cleckheaton’s kick ahead was taken by Eddie Pitchford who made ground before Mihali Joannou’s delicate chip ahead was gathered by Mac Walsh who nearly made the line before handing on to Tom O’Brien who touched down under the posts taking the home side’s lead to 40-15 with Tom Hodson’s easy conversion after 60 minutes. As full time approached and in their own 22 Sandal won a Cleckheaton line out from where Tom O’Brien made a telling break before passing to a supporting Tom Hodson who touched down and converted his own try after 76 minutes to take his side’s lead to 47-15. From the resumption Sandal gradually moved down field before Ibrahim Shamchiyev made a break down the touch line and then handing on to Tom O’Brien who coasted in under the posts only to generously give the ball to Callum Burden who only had to place the ball on the ground and with a seventh Tom Hodson conversion Sandal’s 54-15 victory was secured against a struggling Cleckheaton side whose poor defence left the side very vulnerable.
​​​​​​​​​Written by Howard Newton