Sale FC 24 – 27 Rosslyn Park
25/10/25
A resilient Rosslyn Park came back from 24–17 down to beat Sale FC 24–27 in a thriller at Heywood Road Stadium. A late Benji Marfo try caused upset for the Sale faithful after the home team had led for a large part of the second half.
The game started with the hosts dominating play. After being pinned in the Park half, the visitors eventually conceded a penalty for not rolling away, Joe Green slotted the ball to claim a 3-point lead.
Minutes later, Park bounced back. After the hosts were called for offside, Charlie Piper mauled over from five metres out. Park then increased their lead a few minutes later when a beautiful line from James Cordy-Redden put him through before offloading to Steff James, who went over the whitewash.
But discipline caused problems for Park. In almost the same position as before, Sale claimed another 3 points to cut their deficit. Minutes later, they came within one point of the visitors, their maul coming into play, with flanker Josh Brown claiming the try.
Eventually, the hosts took the lead. They played it to the fringe, and some slick offloading saw Tom Walsh creep into the corner. But Park would have the last laugh of the half, putting phases together in Sale’s 22, helped by some powerful carries from the forwards, before it was put wide to Charlie Walker, who scored.
The home team came out firing in the second half. After a clever grubber deep into Park’s 22, Marfo was forced out, and Sale mauled it over from the resulting lineout, Alfie Longstaff claiming the spoils. They continued to build on the momentum from the try and increased their lead by 3, once again utilising the boot of Joe Green.
But Park weren’t finished yet. A cheeky tap penalty from Charlie Mulchrone put them on the front foot, but it was an arching run from Ed Volley, who popped it to Luke Mehson for the score, that really got things going for the visitors.
Then, after showing incredible defensive resilience, Park collected more penalties in the Sale half. After battering at the door of the try line, the ball was chucked wide to Benji Marfo, who claimed the winner in an absolute thriller at Heywood Road.
ROSSLYN PARK
Tries: Piper (8’), James (15’), Walker (35’), Mehson (70’), Marfo (78’)
Conversions: James (9’)
Penalties: N/A
Yellow Cards: N/A
Team: Cade, Piper, Woodward, Cleet, Gillanders, Ledger, Ellis (c), Digby, Fenley, James, Marfo, Kennaugh, Cordy-Redden, Walker, Mehson
Replacements: Fraine, Wade, Orchard, Mulchrone, Volley
SALE FC
Tries: Brown (21’), Walsh (30’), Longstaff (44’)
Conversions: N/A
Penalties: Green (4’, 17’, 55’)
Yellow Cards: N/A
Team: Carlile, Langdon, Parker, Mintern, Vickers, Gilmore, Brown, Hughes (c), Green, Mulchrone, Walsh, Roberts, Davey, Dixon, Brady
Replacements: Birchall, Longstaff, Ford, Davies, Street