MANCHESTER 44, SEDGLEY PARK 20: Sedgley Park, who replaced Manchester in National One this season, put out a much weakened side yet at one stage led 20-3, but Manchester's comeback was well worthy of a place in the Powergen Cup fourth round against National One high flyers Exeter.

"We started well and built up quite a lead, but then just threw it away after 20 minutes," said the Tigers' player-coach, Tim Fourie.

"Our scrums were not as good as they could have been, and our line outs were not good at all. They disrupted our game and we lost our concentration.

"Once they got the wind in their sails there was no stopping them. But it was good to see some of the younger lads getting some action.

"And it was good to see Dave McCormack play 60 minutes. I thought he had a good game, but he still has a way to go before he is fully fit again."

Manchester began with a good period of pressure but a loose pass in Sedgley's half was intercepted by scrum half Dave McCormack, making his comeback from a broken arm, who raced clear before slipping the ball inside to Ross Bullough who touched down out wide.

Winger Chris Glynn missed with the kick but the visitors soon extended their lead when new centre Tom Mapp barged over in the opposite corner.

Park then gave away a penalty on 15 minutes which Manchester stand-off Andre Wilson converted.

But some woeful tackling from the restart saw Park full back Jonny Lowdon split the Manchester defence before the ball was recycled to the right wing where Bullough was waiting for his second try of the day.

Four minutes later the Sedgley pack

piled forward with prop Matt Collie getting the final touch, but the home side struck back almost immediately when a powerful forward drive resulted in a penalty try which Wilson converted.

With Manchester's beginning to the upper hand, Wilson turned down a long range kick at goal for a kick to touch, a move which paid off when Manchester drove over from the resulting line out, Rawlings coming up with the ball to reduce the gap to just five points.

Sedgley were reduced to 14 men when Lowdon was sent to the sin-bin for foul play and they were immediately punished when Manchester's Kiwi number eight Matt Mackenzie darted over after a massive scrum from the home pack. Just before half-time Manchester went ahead for the first time with a try from skipper Isaac Richmond, who took a neat pass from hooker Mike Armstrong to break the Park defence.

Manchester continued to pile forward after the break and Wilson added to the total with a penalty and then a conversion when Kenyan international Lucas Onyango skipped through to score by the posts.

With Lowdon back on the field Park tightened up their defence, but rarely left their own half as a heavy downpour put an end to the flowing rugby.

It was half an hour before the next points were scored when prop Nick Flynn and hooker Mitchell Hulme combined on the wing with some slick passing and hard running for Flynn to go over and Wdson converted.

This Saturday Sedgley travel to Bedford in the league.