Rosslyn Park 31-26 Sale

HUGO ELLIS’ brace saw Rosslyn Park beat Sale 31-26 in a dominant first half but leaky second at The Rock.

Bam Fadahunsi scored after five minutes before Joe Munro and Ellis went over, Paolo Odugwu getting a try for the visitors.

But Jack Moorhouse’s second-half score put Sale on the way to a bonus point, secured late on by Johnny Leota and Odugwu.

Park were almost ahead in 20 seconds as Fadahunsi picked up Emiliano Calle Rivas’ kick-off but was denied by Odugwu.

The winger got his reward four minutes later, finishing a slick move from Park’s scrum.

But Sale were back on level terms within minutes, the Spanish international threading a kick to Odugwu.

It was all Park then as Joe Munro finished a maul on 17 minutes before Hugo Ellis got his third try in three games with a déjà vu move five minutes later.

Sale’s afternoon got worse a minute later as scrumhalf Matt Bradley was sin-binned for intercepting Jack Gash’s breakaway.

And Park responded immediately, Ellis repeating his efforts move-by-move for the bonus point.

But it was the visitors who came out firing in the second half, Moorhouse scoring after a driving move.

Odugwu and Ed O’Keefe had chances to score after 50 minutes but the ball did not bounce for them.

Park secured victory with a penalty kick five minutes from time, Oli Grove finding the mark from 10 metres.

But the visitor’s reward came on 80 minutes as Leota finished a maul and Odugwu scored from a full-length pitch run, earning the bonus point.

Next week Park are going back to university as they face Loughborough Students on February 16 at Ashby Road.

The home side are having a difficult season, which only got worse in a 47-30 loss to Darlington Mowden Park at the Northern Echo Arena.

Park will hope for a repeat of their last encounter, which saw a 39-31 win at the Rock in October. [62 words]