Northwich 61 Manchester 0

NORTHWICH provided a perfect response to successive defeats, recording their biggest win of the season.

Richard Dale, not for the first time, was Blacks’ star turn after helping himself to a hat-trick of tries.

In the absence of Chris Dutoy, he kicked eight conversions too.

Victories for the teams above them in the table leave Sam Naylor’s men a dozen points adrift of a play-off place with 10 matches left.

With a strong wind behind them, they dominated the first half.

A first score arrived inside five minutes when, after applying pressure at a scrum close to the visitors’ line, Robin Houghton pounced on a loose ball before diving over.

Dale added the extras.

Northwich extended their lead from the restart, from which Jack Watts’ break led to Dale and Houghton swapping passes before the former crossed the whitewash.

Chris James was next to touch down, receiving a recycles ball after Matt Purbrick – promoted from the second team – had made up ground with a strong run.

Dale’s kick made it 21-0 before he claimed his second try.

This time replacement Michael Gallimore, on for injured Houghton, supplied the ball to James Underhill who in turn released Dale to run in close to the posts.

A conversion duly followed.

Blacks did not let up, Liam Gavin profiting from a lineout to score the first of a personal double. Dale’s extras made it 35-0.

Gallimore made forward progress with a turnover ball before releasing Watts for a 50-metre burst.

He passed to Naylor, who returned the favour for the youngster to score.

Grayson Thyne pinched the ball at a lineout to add a seventh first-half try, but Dale missed the resulting conversion.

Manchester’s best spell followed the interval, though they did not put any points on the board.

Instead their wastefulness was punished when a kick was sent straight to Naylor, who released Gavin to charge for the line.

Dale’s conversion added to Blacks’ lead.

And with 10 minutes left, the centre sprinted over to register a treble following neat approach play by Purbrick.

Dale kicked successfully again, upping his personal points tally to 31 – more than half of the hosts’ total. 

They avenge a defeat in the return fixture too, a trick they hope to repeat at Manchester Medics next Saturday.

Northwich Cairns, Tangi, Brotherton, Harrison, Gavin, Watts, James, Thyne, Houghton, Underhill, Dale, Purbrick, Naylor, Jones, Barber Replacements Cartman, Vaughan, Gallimore Tries Dale (3), Gavin (2), Houghton, James, Watts, Thyne Cons Dale (8)