Sandbach 5 Grappenhall 1

GRAPPENHALL Sports travelled to high-flying Sandbach hoping to start the new year as strongly as they ended 2013.

Manager Darren Davies had expressed concerns that his side had only played two games in the last five weeks and despite a bright start to this game, that concern was proven to be justified.

Sports dominated the majority of the first half, frustrating the hosts and taking a deserved lead on the half hour mark when Dan Sisson provided a superb ball for Ben Howard to slam home at the second time of asking.

But despite a fine start and a half time lead, Sports inexplicably found themselves 4-1 down after 65 minutes.

A penalty dragged the hosts level, before three lethal counter attacks inside 10 minutes sucked the life out of Grappers, who watched helplessly as Sandbach added a fifth before full time.

“I think that first half was our best away performance of the season,” said Davies.

“That feels strange saying that, but as good as we were in the first half we were as bad in the second.”