SANDAL 21 ROSSENDALE 29
Wins in Yorkshire are usually hard to come by but to come away with maximum points was a bonus indeed an a much needed confidence boost for Rossendale who returned back over the Pennines with a 21-29 victory over Sandal.
The Lancashire side were the first to score, a catch and drive and good hands between James Bramhall and Lewis Allen created the opportunity for Curtis Strong to hit the line at pace and cross for the opening try, Allen adding the conversion.
It was Strong again who brought up the second, quick thinking by Bramhall using a tap penalty to cause havoc in the opposition defence to put the centre over. Allen slotted the conversion followed by a penalty before swift ruck ball in their own '22,' good ground made by Reece Tomlinson and Tom Leader, up from full back, finding Bramhall in support to take the scoring pass for his side's third, Allen once more 'on song' with the extras.
Just before the break Sandal did manage a converted try to close the the half with Rossendale 7-24 to the good.
In the second half a penalty line out and a drive from Ryan McKibben followed by a break by Leader opened the way for George Peel to coast in for the fourth and the bonus point.
In the closing stages Sandal came back with two converted tries but just failing to get the losing bonus point.
Geoff Lightfoot
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