Rugby Union: Sefton RUFC 10 - 43 Rochdale RUFC

After a disappointing performance against Bolton last weekend Rochdale made amends at to Sefton having been buoyed by the return of Shaun Needham to the club.

Rochdale made a much more determined start to the game and applied a lot of pressure to the home defence in the first ten minutes.

Just when it seemed Sefton had ridden the early storm and won good possession, Ross Hartley performed a little bit of magic and ripped the ball free in a tackle and quick, accurate passing gave Dom Macklin the chance to draw the midfield defence and put Blair Henry over out wide on the left. Matty Buckley added the extras for a seven-point lead for Rochdale.

Sefton were stung onto action and mounted their own ten minutes of pressure, but they were thwarted by an alert defence and sound tackling.

Rochdale finally broke free on their own 22 and a neat kick ahead by fullback Henry was well cleared by his opposite number, just winning the race to the ball.

Rochdale won the line-out through Tom Helliwell which eventually gave Buckley, on the left wing a chance to drive infield and his supporting forwards put Needham over wide out.  Buckley was just wide with the conversion attempt.

The next ten minutes saw an exciting spell where both teams moved the ball well and the advantage ebbed and flowed with each defence proving up to the task until the influential Sefton centre was able to draw the Rochdale midfield and give his right winger the overlap and score out wide. Sefton missed the conversion attempt..

Rochdale swung back into the game and taking a quick tap penalty caught the home side by surprise. Another kick ahead was well chased, catching the home defence in possession and out-numbered, allowing an alert Dom Serridge to pick up and fall over the line for Rochdale’s third try. Buckley adding the extras.

From the restart, Harry Hill fielded the ball and drove hard to set up a platform for scrum half Louis Singleton to launch his backs once again. This time a splendid tackle by the covering Sefton defence halted progress as the ball was knocked forward. When Sefton won the scrum their lively scrum half broke blind and passed inside to his centre who was eventually well tackled by Henry, to bring the half to a close.

Rochdale opened the second half with a real determination and found touch deep in the home 22. When Chris Hodgkinson won the line out the Rochdale pack drove towards the line, but the maul was pulled down - penalty to Rochdale. The quick tap from Singleton saw him crash over for is first try for the club. Buckley added the extras.

To add to their woes, Sefton had a man yellow carded for verbal abuse to the referee.

From the restart Needham caught the ball and ran magnificently to cross the halfway and on to the Seftons 22 before being hauled down.

The Rochdale backs gave Jimmy Flitcroft the chance to round his man only to be bundled into touch just five metres short of the line. Sefton managed to clear their line but soon found themselves under pressure again.

Rochdale, taking the ball against the head courtesy of late replacement hooker Johnny Bradley, broke from the scrum through Hodgkinson. Harry Hayes was on hand to carry it on before releasing the backs with a two man overlap only to see the chance missed for the lack of full concentration.

Sefton had shown a lot of spirit when playing a man short and now it was Rochdale’s turn as they suffered from a yellow card shown to Ross Hartley.

Sefton were getting more ball to attack with and running well, but Rochdale’s tackling was managing to stifle and frustrate the enterprise.

Eventually, as forwards drove another line out towards the posts, Harry Hill crossed the whitewash. Buckley missed the extras.

Sefton showed their spirit once again and held Rochdale in their 22 as they threw everything into attack.

Rochdale were under the cosh but a measured gamble by Macklin, in the centre, saw him intercept the opposition pass and race off. He handed onto Flitcroft and veteran Jon Mair in support but Jack Green, on his first team debut, was beaten to the touch by excellent home cover.

The pressure was still on Sefton in their 22 and another forward drive saw Mair receive the ball in open play, he danced around the full back to score under the posts. Buckley had no trouble with the extras.

Back came Sefton and this time they moved the ball quickly and accurately out to the right and their quick-footed centre found the gap and ran in to score a well deserved try. The kick was charged down by Buckley.

Rochdale put Sefton back on their own five metre line, and as they tried to run the ball out Macklin was again alert to the possible intercept and held on for a walk in and the final try of the day. Buckley slotted the kick.