Match Report - Cheshire Cup Final: Macclesfield v Sandbach

Sandbach lost their grip on the Cheshire Cup to local rivals Macclesfield, in a pulsating final that went into extra time.

With the scores tied at twenty-four all after eighty minutes, following a dramatic late try and conversion from Sandbach’s James Preston, there was a further ten minutes each way, but in the end, it proved to be just too much for the Bach. Though this will have been a fantastic game for the neutral and a great advert for Cheshire rugby, Sandbach eventually ran out of steam, despite an heroic effort. In the end it wasn’t quite enough, and Macclesfield were deservedly crowned winners after extra time, where their power game eventually saw them home but it was a close run thing.

Sandbach got off to the ideal start when they scored after just four minutes, as they went through the phases to stretch the Macc defence to create an edge and Jack Leech sprinted away to squeeze in at the corner. Already though, the contrasts in style of the two teams was apparent, as Macclesfield looked to exploit Sandbach who were missing some of their more regular starters in the front five. They began to utilise their driving maul and scrummage ascendency, to win penalties and dominate territory. With this they took the lead as the lineout drive sucked in the defence and skipper Harry Oliver crashed over from a pop pass, to go over right under the posts. Macclesfield’s fly half Attis doing the honours with the simple conversion.

Sandbach had their moments and Macclesfield went down to fourteen men for ten minutes soon after following a tip tackle by their powerful centre Barbarinsa, but the Bach couldn’t capitalise. Once restored back to their full complement Macclesfield resumed control and further stretched their lead after thirty three minutes with a similar try to their earlier one, this time winger Sam Adu stretching over. Attis again converting. Sandbach showed that when they had the ball, they were dangerous and with the GPR surface suiting their expansive game, they cut the deficit to two points just before the break, as flanker James Finucane streaked away to score, and Preston converted.

After the interval Macclesfield soon edged further ahead with an Attis penalty but Sandbach bounced straight back when replacement wing Elliott Morris was worked clear and he dotted down in the corner, to even things up at seventeen apiece. Macclesfield’s strong midfield was having an effect and the former National 1 Cinderford man Barbarinsa managed to spin out of a tackle and plunged over.  Attis once more converting. Macclesfield then lost veteran front row Sam Moss to the bin, as Sandbach’s fast paced game had its impact and it was desperate defence by the Blues. It looked like they would hold on as Sandbach chased the game, eventually though this adventurous policy paid off, as Preston broke clear and just made it to the line. He then needed to kick a difficult conversion to tie matters up with seventy-eight minutes on the clock, but he judged it perfectly against the breeze and it was all square.

Under the competition rules Sandbach’s additional try counted for nothing at this stage, with extra time being required, but the effort they had exerted to draw level seemed to influence them. Macclesfield having rotated their bench efficiently got a second wind and were back into their earlier pattern of driving down the middle and this paid dividends once more, as their winger Blackwell picked a good support line to take an offload out of a tackle and dive over. Attis’s conversion stretching the lead back to seven points. Sandbach refused to go quietly and when the ball went loose Leech grabbed his second, as he sprinted in from the halfway line and Preston kicked another fine conversion from out wide, to even things up again at thirty-one all.

Tiredness was beginning to creep in for the Bach and the influential Attis restored the Macclesfield lead which he converted, and then Blackwell scored again which Attis also goaled. It proved too much and though Sandbach continued to throw the ball around when they had it, Macclesfield were not going to let the game slip and saw out the second period of extra time without incident, to take the trophy. Whatever the result Sandbach can be proud of their efforts and encouraged particularly by the performance of some of their less regular starters at 1^st XV level who certainly caught the eye. So though they may be disappointed not to have come away with the silverware, they can take heart from the efforts of the likes of Finucane, Randall and Hulbert and this experience for these young players should serve them well in the coming seasons.