MATCH REPORT: DOGS BITE RAMS YET AGAIN

RAMS once again fell to their Sale FC curse as the visitors ground out an attritional 18-12 National One victory at Old Bath Road.

Following a tepid opening 10 minutes filled with plenty of kicking, it was the visitors centurion Mark Dixon who broke the deadlock, the classy Fergus Mulchrone’s deft grubber kick collected by Tom Walsh before his inside ball sent the 100-cap man over.

Joe Green’s conversion attempt from the left drifted wide, but his side were close to extending their advantage as a maul surged over the line, only for Rams to keep the ball up.

Other than a Willo Bicknell break in midfield the hosts offered little during the opening 40 minutes, and Sale eventually nudged their way to an 8-0 half-time lead as Green slotted a penalty shortly before the break, Rams pinged five metres out for a breakdown infringement.

Sale extend lead before hosts reply

The scrum-half repeated the trick early in the second period, the hosts pinged for not releasing, but Rams replied as Andrew Lamb’s cross-field kick was collected by Oli Rhoads to touch down on the left.

Lamb added the extras to cut the gap to four points, but The Dogs then bit back, a maul stopped short before some neat interplay sent second row Evan Mintern over.

Duda provides late hope

Green was on target again for 18-7, but Rams threatened to set up a grandstand finish as they grabbed a second score following a period of sustained pressure.

Camped in the Sale half, they eventually got over the line as captain Max Hayman’s tidy pass freed Mikey Duda to dive over in Clubhouse Corner with 12 minutes remaining.

But the experienced visitors held their nerve and refused to allow their opponents another clear opportunity, the game ended as Green booted the ball into touch to inflict a ninth defeat in 11 games on the Berkshire men.

Rams slip to seventh in the table but will hope to bounce back at the team who usurped them, Tonbridge Juddians, next Saturday (2pm).