Bromsgrove RFC were well-beaten 35-18 by an ill-disciplined Sandbach in a game littered with mistakes for both sides.
The Boars put the home side under pressure early on but it was Sandbach who took the lead first, a break from defence allowed Ben Elliot to receive the ball out wide to score in the corner, the conversion going just wide.
Resolute defending kept out the home side and allowed Bromsgrove to score next when James Upton reduced the deficit with a long range penalty.
The reply was almost immediate when Sandbach were awarded a penalty of their own and Elliot restored the difference to five points.
Some good work by the visitors was rewarded with a penalty and Upton stroked over to make the scoreline 11-6.
Bromsgrove took advantage of a sloping pitch to pin Sandbach in their own half and after some intelligent kicking by Upton, Tom Hunt used his pace to sprint into the corner, Upton failed to convert leaving the sides level at 11-11.
There was just time for the Sandbach winger Jack Leech to get his marching orders for a deliberate knock before the referee blew for half time.
Sandbach started the second half with another error, the home side struggling to get the ball under control from kick off, a lofted pass was intercepted by Hunt and once again his pace was too much for the defence as he went in under the posts.
Bromsgrove failed to capitalise on this advantage and within a few minutes some idle chatter to the referee cost the visitors another three points.
With the score at 14-18, it was Sandbach working hard to regain the lead, the referee incurring the wrath of the home support when his penalty awards kept Bromsgrove out of trouble.
Bromsgrove’s good fortune was not to last as the slope and good ball control by the home side began to tell, the ball was spun out to fullback Stewart Butters who beat the defence to score under the posts with Elliot converting to regain the lead at 21-18.
Despite Sandbach being reduced to 14 men for the second time, it was they who scored next with Luke Butler crashing over the line having been missed by the Bromsgrove defence; Elliot converted to make it 28-18.
A tired Bromsgrove scrum was shunted backwards, Jon Malins was adjudged to have infringed the front row laws and was sin binned.
To add to Bromsgrove’s misery, referee Paul Caunt decided the offence prevented a certain try and Sandbach were awarded a penalty try.
Elliot accepted the easy conversion and the scoreboard clocked up to 35 points to 18.
Sandbach second row Will Stockdale received a yellow card after a scrappy passage of play at the end of the match but the home side had both their win and try bonus.
Bromsgrove host Scunthorpe at Finstall Park on Saturday with an entertaining game expected as Scunthorpe are pushing the league leaders Hinckley all the way.
