Written by Jay Rowland and Daniel Needham
With 10 league positions separating the two North West Counties teams, Sandbach were looking to pick up three points at Hind Heath Road after their big away win at St Martins.
However, their visitors, Alsager, desperately needed to grab as many points as possible to pull away from the relegation mire. New Sandbach signing Jordan Stafford made his debut for the Ramblers, after making 21 appearances for the Bullets this season.
Both teams wanted the win from the first whistle and committed several bodies forward whenever they attacked, but it was Sandbach who struck first. Ryan Rogers had already beaten his full-back a couple times in the early stages of the game, and it was from his tricky play that the Ramblers won the freekick they scored from. A fantastic set piece from Niall Cope found ex-Alsager man George West, who volleyed the cross into the back of the net.
However, after end-to-end play for 26 minutes, the Bullets found themselves back in the game. Jack Price, on loan from National League side Chorley, slotted a low effort past Eric Merner after Sandbach couldn’t clear a loose ball.
After a feisty end to the first half from both sides, Sandbach began the second period on the back foot. After riding the Alsager pressure, the Ramblers began to enjoy more possession and eventually pulled their way back in front through West once more. Another sublime pass from Cope picked out the forward’s run perfectly before he took it down and bore down on goal. Williams in the Alsager goal advanced to narrow the angle, but West buried his left-footed strike into the back of the net.
Alsager reacted well to finding themselves behind again, and almost pulled level with less than 20 minutes to go but were denied by a timely Callum Chapman clearance off the goal-line. In the 83rd minute, substitute Jayden Major scored a deserved Bullets leveller. Poor defending from the Ramblers allowed Major to pick his spot from just inside the box and he made no mistake with the finish.
Big chances fell to both sides in the final few minutes, as Alsager substitute Paul Jamieson fired a shot over from a very promising position, before Sandbach substitute Will Webb put his free header over the bar. With the final action of the game, Rogers twisted and turned into the box and had half a yard to shoot. However, he tried to turn back onto his left foot and the Bullets recovered to crowd him out.
In truth, neither side fully deserved the three points after a scrappy encounter befitting a local derby. Fortunately for Alsager, the draw is one point that will help them move away from the relegation zone after 19th-placed Rocester lost at home to Maine Road. Sandbach now go up against Cammell Laird 1907 next weekend, away from home.
Sandbach: Eric Merner, Jack Marrow, Callum Chapman, Sean Sherwood, Rory Roberts, Niall Cope, Ryan Rogers, Jordan Stafford, Brian Barton (C), Sakib Islam, George West. Subs: Joel Dovey, William Webb, Liam Fitzpatrick, Jimmy Burling, Paul Taylor.
Alsager: Joseph Williams, Joshua Odukomaya, Jonathon Anderson Ogbomo, Kane Lewis, Adam Lawrence (C), Dominic Barnes, Travis Boyles, Callum Collinson, Connor Comber, Olly Wright, Jack Price. Subs: Samuel James, Sam Latham, Jason Clarke, Jayden Major, Paul Jamieson.