Scintillating Sutton Sink Salts!

After the previous week’s mauling at the hands and feet! Of Moseley Oak an inspirational and committed team performance put local rivals Old Salts to the sword at Walmley Road, the week after Old Salts themselves had scored nearly a century of points without reply against hapless Malvern.
The starting 15 of Andy Duckworth, Scott Toy, Dave Smith, Quentin, Ed Moore, Dom Morphett, Ian Wilson, Rhys Jones, Stu McGarragle, TJ, Matt Lawson, skipper Mark McEvoy, Josh Pugh, Mike Iavanovic, on debut, and Dave Sandford made their usual slow start as Old Salts made ground to score a somewhat surprising early penalty try after a driving maul was brought down!! However that’s was about as good as it got in the first half as Sutton rallied and began to run hard and fast at their opposition. Territory was made time and time again only for the final ball to be knocked on or being turned over as the support was lacking at times. But with the back line putting Old Salts under a lot of pressure in midfield it finally told as a stray pass was snaffled up on the half way line by Lawson and he had no difficulty in striding impressively to the line to touch down under the posts. 7-5 to Old Salts with the conversion to come and that’s how it stayed as TJ was wide with the kick. No matter the points would come as the forwards, in particular Smith, Jones, Morphett and Wilson, continued to punch holes in the Old Salts rearguard. After repeated sorties into enemy territory in particular by Wilson and Jones the latter received the ball from the livewire Sutton scrum half McGarragle and like a barracuda in a pool of minnows he skipped and sliced his way to the line touching down between the sticks for a fine individual try, converted by TJ and the home team had a lead in the league for the first time this season! 12-7 and the rampant men in green spent the rest of the half pressing for points with fire in their bellies and a steely resolve in their eyes, anxious to put the wrongs of the previous week behind them. Unluckily for Old Salts, the home team dismissed the previous week with an imperious display with the odd glitch here and there!!
The territory was all Sutton’s and the points began to rattle up. Fine runs from Pugh and Iavanovic came to naught but it was only a matter of time before Sutton scored again as Smith crashed over for a well worked forwards’ try. A successful conversion and the lead stretched out to 19-7. After a few changes including veteran prop Duckworth departing with a painful and possibly season ending knee injury, Armand Ro took over the loose head duties and had a fine game. With Jones scoring another individual try Sutton were looking at a substantial 24-7 half time lead but it was not to be as a rare Salts sortie into Sutton territory led to a try in the corner as the home team nodded off and half time was reached with a score of 24-12 to Sutton; a score which to be honest flattered the away team.
Changes were made at half time as returnee Amir Naseri made a welcome appearance after a long absence. Just as predictably he made some good runs with ball in hand but failed to see out the half!!! Scrum half Stu McGarragle, who had a fine first game of the season, took a rest half way through the half as super vet Steve Clarke made an appearance, another player anxious to put the Moseley result behind him! Winger Callum Heeney also gained some grass time in the second half. Changes were made by injured Chris Duckworth who as about 6th in line manager!!! led the team from the side, acquitting himself capably.
The second half began with severe pressure from Sutton which Old Salts were struggling to contain and that pressure led to 2 quick tries, including a penalty try as the lead stretched out to surely an unassailable 24 points at 36-12. But Sutton being Sutton, Old Salts hit back out of the blue(or yellow and red) to score and convert, 36-19 to the green men!
After a bit of biff involving Wilson and half the Old Salts pack the away no.8 was banished for 10 minutes to contemplate the error of his ways or the colour of his boots! Sutton continued their repeated surges toward more points.
Jones completed his hat trick again touching down between the posts, McEvoy scored a typical try running through the centre of the Salts defence and Iavanovic scored a debut try as he rounded the full back to register a try well received on the touchline. With a successful conversion from TJ the score was 55-19 as the ref blew for no side.
Man of the match-McGarragle, Wilson, Jones, who knows, you decide!!
In fact the whole squad in my view deserve the plaudits for the victory against a team who are traditionally difficult opponents for Sutton.