By Leipziger
September 16 2013

What a difference a week makes! Seven days earlier fans were feeling gloomy after a nilling by Bath at home in our first game of the season, but then this Friday just gone the Falcons went to Sale and pulled off a tight victory that has boosted everyone’s morale. 

The win may have been considered less likely after the opening weekend’s results when Sale won at Kingsholm, but it means that we are right on the Sharks’ tails with the Mancs considered one of our relegation rivals this season.

The four points were won with hard work, courage and an unshakeable belief in the second half that there was nothing Sale could throw at our defence that would break through, and both sets of fans fed of their teams’ diverging morale; the small but vocal contingent in the AJ Bell Stadium’s North Stand were jumping jubilant at the final whistle.

Adam Powell for Jamie Helleur was the only change in the backs from Bath, while there were several new forwards in the shape of Matt Thompson, Oliver Tomaszczyk, Fraser McKenzie and returning captain Will Welch.

Sale, backed by the majority of the 6,876 crowd on a rainy North West Friday night, were almost on the scoresheet within a couple of minutes through a penalty by Nick Macleod, however the ball bounced out from the post, though Macleod made no mistake with his next effort soon after.

The home team were looking the more likely to score, enjoying greater possession and probing through the likes of Mark Cueto and Tom Brady, but the Falcons’ defence stood strong and Phil Godman, who looked like he had his confidence back after a tricky evening against Bath, scored an equalizing penalty.

Macleod put Sale back into the lead with another kick, and with Sale pressing hard and the penalty count climbing, the referee finally lost patience and controversially sin-binned Dom Barrow for pulling down a maul on the right. Home captain Dan Braid found a gap seconds later and dived in for the night’s first try.

Tom Catterick could not reply immediately with a long-range penalty, but two kicks by Godman kept the Falcons in the game with the score 11-9 at half-time – slightly closer than it had been just minutes earlier.

The events at the end of the first half seemed to galvanise the Falcons and Godman gave us the lead for the first time just a few minutes into the second period, a penalty moving the scoreline to 11-12. Macleod missed a chance to reverse the lead and Newcastle began to take control of possession, frustrating the home fans and keeping the Sharks back in their own half.

Although a penalty gave Sale the advantage again just before the hour mark, heads did not drop. There was a gut feeling among the Geordies that they were not going to be beaten.

Rory Clegg was put on in place of Godman for his first appearance back with the Falcons and his penalty put the visitors back ahead.

Clegg played a controlled game, always seeming to find time on the ball and playing some nice passes and clever kicks, allowing the Falcons to play tight when necessary but also relieving the pressure by going forward.

In the final few minutes, Sale tried desperately to get through the Falcons’ defence but the line moved forward and drove the hosts back into their own half quite brilliantly. It only takes one break to score a try, so nerves were still on edge, but eventually Sale lost possession and the full-time whistle heralded celebrations among the travelling fans in Salford.

So this weekend’s results leaves us a lofty eighth in the Premiership after two games, heading into probably the hardest game of the season, away to Leicester. The table shows were are the only team in the league still to score a try, but they will come and if they don’t, and we have to kick our way to survival, that will be fine!