SEDGLEY SEE OFF SANDAL

SANDAL put up a good fight at Park Lane a few weeks ago, but in front of their own supporters last Saturday, they were never remotely in the game.

Nor were Sedgley at their best. Inaccurate passes and frequent fumbles spoilt the flow of the game on a bitingly cold afternoon, though the familiar team organisation was strongly present, and was the difference between the two teams.

Colin Stephens kicked an early penalty and, after 13 minutes, came the opening try. A couple of drives by the pack, a fierce charge by centre Jon Scales, then out wide where full-back Rob Moon scored in the right corner.

Further scores were ruled out by poor handling at this stage and the best opportunity fell to Sandal's useful backs, an attack that only failed because of right winger Mike Wilcock's superb tackle in Sedgley's left corner.

But, as half-time approached, Sedgley scored two tries, both typically cheeky efforts by scrum-half Dave McCormack, the second of which was converted. Two others might have been scored, but good work by Kern Yates and Richard Senior was wasted through another knock-on, and the best move of the match. Scales the instigator, which ended when Wilcock was tackled into touch-in-goal.

So Sedgley had a 20-0 lead at half-time and were now playing down the steepest slope in Northern rugby; the out-gunned Sandal pack must have felt they were playing up the North face of the Eiger.

Tries now came in abundance. A break by Scales, well supported by lock Paul Arnold, an able deputy for the injured Raducanu, led to a try for Wilcock which Stephens converted. A huge effort by the Sedgley scrum pushed Sandal off their own ball five metres out and Tim Fourie dived over a pile of bodies to score. Sandal had every reason to curse the fates when a diagonal kick by Stephens bounced directly into the arms of a speeding Paul Morris, his try putting Sedgley 37-0 up. But the Yorkshiremen had enough spirit to score a good team try of their own, big centre Jamie Barker getting across the line despite some committed and well drilled Sedgley defending; Matthew Bacon converted.

Moon scored from a tap-penalty, Scales forced his way over following a scrum in Sandal's 22, and then came the biggest cheer of the afternoon as prop Andy Ridehalgh strolled unopposed to the posts from a maul 10-metres out -- a neat piece of role-reversal as the maul was set up by little Sion O'Hare. Stephens, not kicking well on the day, did convert this one.

Full-back Mark Wolff pulled one back for Sandal from a tap-penalty, and Bacon converted, but Sedgley were soon keeping the score-board operator busy again. A daring handling move across the face of their own posts set Wilcock free on the left and he left everyone in his wake with a run of 80 metres. A battering-ram named Jon Scales made Sedgley's final try, deservedly scored by the omnipresent Kern Yates. Stephens converted and Sedgley had achieved their biggest ever score away from home.

Sandal had the last word, a good individual try by little centre Dean Lomas.

Bacon sliced the conversion kick, and his team are left to contemplate a tricky battle against relegation.

SEDGLEY PARK: Moon, Wilcock, O'Hare, Scales, Morris, C. Stephens, McCormack, Alcock, Treco, Ridehalgh, Kimmins, Arnold, Senior, Yates, Fourie. Subs: Bullough, Roberts, Byford.

Tomorrow, Sedgley face fellow challengers New Brighton in a game of vital importance to both clubs.