Bees Swatted in Title Race

South Manchester are building quite a rivalry with Sale after a battle last season ended with Sale winning the league on goal difference over the Bees as well as two close fought games during the year. This game was no exception and it was end to end and could've gone either way.

A bright start from the Bees led to an early chance for Richard Greenhough but the away keeper made a great stick save to deny the Yorkshireman. Then Sale took a spell of dominance and only a couple of saves from Dean Colasurdo prevented the away team making the breakthrough from consecutive short corners. The new 3-5-2 formation looked solid at the back as Patrick Souter, Ed Holmes, Mark Scholes and Alan Leonard snuffed out any clear cut chances. The Bees should've took the lead half way through the half as a Greenhough strike from a short corner fell to Sean Smith on the rebound but the winger sliced his back sweep wide. The game was end to end with both keepers pulling off good saves but just before the break, the Bees pulled ahead. Another short corner shot, this time the rebound falling to Gareth Hampton who calmly lifted it over the advancing Sale keeper to make it 1-0 at half time.

Sale came out with intent in the second half but good running from Antony Rigby on the left found Greenhough running in from the right but his sweet shot from the top of the D was well saved. Sale finally managed to crack the defence, Souter leaving his man and when a ball was played into the D, the unmarked striker couldn't miss and deflected it past Colasurdo. It was another defensive error to allow Sale to pull ahead too. Vivek Tharaken tried to clear from the back, but passed it straight to the attacker who played in his team-mate to slot home.

After that, the Bees pushed for the equaliser but Sale held strong. Simon Lamb tried to create chances from the middle and Michael Blackwood ensured that Sale didn't add to their tally by anchoring in front of the back four after the Bees reverted to a 4-4-2. It wasn't to be and Sale celebrated at the final whistle, showing what this game meant to them.

A game with plenty of chances and, unusually for South Manchester, it was the missed opportunities up front which may have cost them. It was perhaps more frustrating that the two goals came from avoidable errors but a very good performance none the less.

Still a long way to go but it'd take a big effort to stop Sale taking the title this season.