Thirds storm to victory to retain the boot

Buxton 44 Sandbach 8

Buxton recorded there first win of the season against a combative Sandbach side that fought hard all afternoon but ran out of stream in the second half. Sandbach arrived with only one prop and so in order to keep the scrums contested Buxton players Rose and Fussell played a half each for Sandbach in the front row.
It was an edgy start by Buxton. However they soon began to dominate the scrums and with Stratford controlling things at half back and Poole making a welcome return in the centres Buxton began to edge the possession and territory.
A series of drives took the thirds into the Sandbach twenty two and with Sandbach living on the edge of the offside rule a penalty was inevitable. Charles stepped up and slotted the points.
Buxton fumbled the ball at the kick off and Sandbach got some rare clean ball. They used it effectively but first Ritchie and then Graham hauled down his opposite number and Dilworth scavenged possession with Poole making the clearance kick. Taylor stole the line out and Buxton rumbled their way back into Sandbach territory. Wit Preece taking over at scrum half, quick passing gave Stratford a sniff of an opening and he glided through for Buxton’s first try.
With Bearman, Edge and Fussell controlling things upfront, Sandbach were living off scraps and for much of the half kicked the ball into the Buxton half, only for the excellent and secure Moss to run the ball back at them. Eventually they strung a move together and managed to conjure a try from the bits and pieces and converted a penalty to level the scores.
As half time loomed Edge who had been impressive all afternoon both in the loose and set piece crashed over for a try and Charles slotted the conversion. Buxton turned round 15-8 ahead at half time.
Rose came back to join the Buxton scrum and Fussell went off to shore up the Sandbach effort. Buxton began to dominate the lose with the backrow winning the battle of the break down. The changes at half time worked well and with Bennison exploiting weaknesses with aggressive and strong running he exploited space down the wing to burn off the cover defence and put Wain in the clear for an excellently taken try after mesmerising the Sandbach defence for one of his own.
Sandbach were staring over the precipice as in between the forwards got in on the act. First Allen and Charles drove off the back of a scrum only for Charles to be turned over on his back as he crossed the line. The relief for Sandbach was temporary. The thirds edged their way back and a thundering scrum from five metres out gave Charles the score that the pack wanted and minutes later Edge bounced off the defence for his second. Buxton were not finished and after a trademark Preece break had seemed to come to nothing, the omnipresent Charles found his backs and Lomas burst through the defence for a try.
Beeley made an impact in the second half splintering the defence and sapping the fight from Sandbach and Dan Gyte was at his bruising best for fifty minutes. The Thirds defence lead by the Skipper Allen was hard and robust through out. All in all an excellent performance, hopefully the first of many.
Training Monday and Thursday 7.00pm at the Club. Be there if you can.

Buxton were; Bearman, Edge, Fussell (Rose 40mins), McNicholas, Taylor(Dilworth 40mins), Dilworth (Beeley 40mins), Allen, Charles, Bennison (Preece 20mins), Stratford, Ritchie (Wain 40mins), Poole, Graham (Bennison 20mins) Gyte (Lomas 55mins), Moss