Photos courtesy of Gareth Lyons
A surprisingly close finish to a match that seemed, for the most part, destined to fall in favour of the Cheshire side, and which ultimately did see Sale FC collect all five league points to move ahead of Blackheath and up to fourth place in the National League One table.
However, having looked drowned and out on two occasions in the final quarter, after seeing a procession of five players leave the field injured, as well as being on their third on-field captain, Blackheath somehow managed to find the character and resolve to push the game to the wire, only to then frustratingly, and perhaps fittingly in the conditions, see a greasy ball slip from grasp and the contest at an end.
Heavy rain at Heywood Road, both before and during the match, had its inevitable impact, with control difficult for both sides, but it was Blackheath who first got to grips as Jake Hennessey came up from full-back and found space down the right flank. As Sale illegally killed the break, Billy Harding was driven across for his 23rd try of the season.
However, the loss of their hooker and skipper to a leg injury soon after, saw the Club struggle for cohesion, most notably at the lineout which faltered for a while, and as the rain became torrential, Sale also began to pour down on the visitors.
Second-row Evan Mintern drove across from close-range, and as a neat grubber-kick towards the corner added further pressure, open-side Corbin Thunder touched-down as Sale picked and drove beneath the uprights for a 12-7 lead.
A third try prior to the interval might have ended resistance, but crucially the Club’s defence, temporarily down to 14-men, held firm until ball squirted loose, and the visitors gleefully cleared to touch.
A kicking duel followed the re-start with both sides trying to gain a territorial advantage, but as a wayward throw at a contested lineout was allowed to stand, and Will Davis left the pitch with a damaged knee, another well-executed diagonal grubber saw Sale full-back Mark Dixon first to touch-down in-goal, scrum-half Joe Green adding the conversion from out wide, to put daylight between the scores.
It could have signalled a deluge, but instead Blackheath rallied, two penalties allowing them to gain field position and work Tom Johnson beneath the uprights for the second-rower’s first try for the Club.
Sale responded quickly with prop Dan Birchall crossing from a close-range tap-and-go to restore the 12-point advantage, but the visitors continued to press till the end.
As time ebbed away, and Sale lost a man to the sin-bin, Blackheath continued to pick-and-go from their own tap-penalty, eventually seeing Charlie Briers ground across the goal-line.
Judging the remaining moments to perfection, Matt Dalrymple gave himself just enough time to land an excellent conversion from out wide, giving Blackheath the chance of an unlikely win, with nine seconds left on the clock allowing for the re-start.
However, although the Club managed enough phases to inch into opposition territory, the conditions won the day as ball slipped away, and this time it was Sale who could gratefully find touch.
Next Saturday Blackheath return to the Utilita Well Hall for their final home game of 2025 and the halfway mark of the campaign, as Leeds Tykes are the visitors. Kick off is at 3.00 pm
Sale FC
Tries: Mintern 17, Thunder 26, Dixon 52, Birchall 67
Conv: Green 26, 52, 67
Blackheath
Tries: Harding 8, Johnson 64, Briers 80
Conv: Dalrymple 8, 64, 80
Attendance: 645
| 15 | . | Jake Hennessey |
| 14 | . | Jake Lloyd |
| 13 | . | Luke Pollock |
| 12 | . | Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas |
| 11 | . | Tom Hughes |
| 10 | . | Matt Dalrymple |
| 9 | . | Jordan Burns |
| 1 | . | Will Davis |
| 2 | . | Billy Harding (Capt) |
| 3 | . | Archie Holland |
| 4 | . | Fin O’Sullivan |
| 5 | . | Ed Scragg |
| 6 | . | Will Jameson |
| 7 | . | Noah Sloot |
| 8 | . | Archie Smeaton |
| 16 | . | Archie Bourne |
| 17 | . | James Cornish |
| 18 | . | Tom Johnson |
| 19 | . | Charlie Briers |
| 20 | . | Tom Emery |
Graham Cox
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