Match Report by Theo Bowyer

Port arrived at Bradwall Road determined to keep up the fighting spirit that had been displayed in the last few weeks. With the tough playing conditions, anyone expecting fireworks on the pitch was going to be disappointed. However, both sides adapted well and there was certainly no shortage of commitment and desire.
It was Sandbach who caught Port cold and after only 5 minutes, a quick tap penalty led to a try for the home side. 7-0 (try conv).
This early marker could have been a sign of things to come but a combination of a staunch defence from Port and a couple of clumsy knock on’s from Bach, meant the announcer was redundant from calling any more try scorers for the match duration.
One of the few times Port managed to get into Sandbach’s half resulted in a penalty and a chance to erase the deficit. However, the kick from 25 metres was missed. This was really the only opportunity to get onto the scoreboard in the first half.
It’s difficult to note specifics in such a low scoring affair but Port’s pack was once again immense and deserved to worry the scoreboard on several occasions. However, the clinical edge was deserting Port at the crucial times.
The second half was a complete role reversal as Port completely dominated territory and possession. The most glaring miss came before the hour mark when Port looked certain to score with a driving maul, only for the ball to be knocked forward with Port virtually over the line. The rejigged back line was also getting more joy and the confidence was growing with both Rory’s at centre combining well. The phases were mounting up and Port’s rock steady line-out was giving them a good platform, including stealing the ball on several occasions. This pressure didn’t convert to points unfortunately. Port kept attacking in the worsening conditions, but little nagging mistakes were costing them.
The home fans were growing uneasy at their tenuous lead and Bach’s second half performance was hardly a classical one. However, they struck the right notes early on and in footballing terms, ‘parked the bus’ until a late penalty felt like an insurmountable lead. 10-0.
There was still time for a biblical downpour, with the players saying afterwards, that they could barely see the ball. The spectators were certainly grateful to find some relief under the shelter pitch-side. Final score… Sandbach 10 Port 0.
Some notable performances were ‘man of the match’ Si Green who defies consistency laws with his level of performance week in week out. Sam Grady-Graham would have won the ‘combativity award’ and a really slick debut for Alex Pantechis at scrum half was warming to see. His claim to fame is representing Cyprus at international level.
It was a ‘what could have been’ result and with so much effort and endeavour put in, was gutting to come away with nothing to show. Port welcome Wirral this Saturday and a win is surely forthcoming if we maintain our new-found level!