| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Paul Ellaby |
Posted - 22/01/2007 : 16:12:11
Sale Utd 1 Unicorn Cougars U9 1
Sky's Grand Slam weekend coverage should have been extended to cover the match at windswept Sale Utd on Saturday morning to see a game every bit as gripping as the Premiership fixtures that followed.
Sale are currently second in the league, and in the early exchanges it was apparent why they have been doing so well. Cougars attacks were quickly snuffed out by posses of tall, strong defenders and the Sale captain held the ball up well in attack and brought his team mates into play. The first period was, however, evenly contested with man of the match Justin Betts and Shae Proudlove commanding in the Cougars defence and the Cox, Francis and Hanley combination asking questions of the Sale defence.
It took a shot from distance and the intervention of nature to break the deadlock in Sale's favour. A thirty yard shot from centre field swirling in the strong wind and dipping under the crossbar with Robert Gill at full stretch unable to get enough on the ball to keep it out.
It is a testament to the boys' confidence and belief in themselves in the second half of the season that they remained undeterred by this setback and gradually started to exert an influence on the game. Callum Francis and David Hanley started to find space when deployed on the left, particularly in the second period, and they worked several opportunities through good, intelligent football which the Sale keeper did well to keep out.
Two key substitutions were made at the start of the third period with Charlie Sands coming on on the right of midfield and Tom Morgan playing in goal. Robert Gill moved to left midfield where he showed composure on the ball and an eye for a pass and together with the increasingly influential Daniel Ellaby helped build several dangerous attacks. David Hanley, now upfont in place of Tom Cox who had run his socks off, probed on the left of the box and caused some dangerous moments for the hosts. The Cougars were definitely on top and the goal their play deserved came when David Hanley broke free on the left side of the box and played a low ball across which Charlie Sands was on hand to side foot into the net. Charlie nearly repeated the trick moments later and for a short time it looked as if the Cougars might go on to win the game.
However, Sale came roaring back and if it were not for a string of brilliant saves from Tom Morgan, one tipping the ball round the post when at full stretch, they would have secured the three points. That said, in a game that had ebbed and flowed, the Cougars had done enough to earn the point and a late winner for Sale would have been unfair.
Man of the match: Justin Betts, for being a rock in defence and, on the few occasions players went past him, sticking with his man and recovering wellto make the tackle.
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