SALE ultimately sealed this high-scoring game in the first 10 minutes with a quick hat-trick of tries catching Tynedale asleep at the wheel.

After some gentle encouragement from the home supporters, Tynedale eventually woke up and came back to within a point of the visitors, before second-place Sale showed why they’re chasing promotion with a brace of muscular tries in the second half.

Tyne chased them all the way, enjoying the majority of possession and territory, but a lack of consistency in their scrums and line-outs often gave Sale a get-out-of-jail-free card.

A restart following their first try from Jack Moorhouse was almost farcical as Tynedale’s Matty Outson kicked it out on the full.

The referee and players from both sides headed to the centre of the pitch for a scrum, but unbeknown to them, Sale had taken a quick line-out and winger Matthew Simpson ran the length of the field virtually unopposed before Sam Stelmaszek touched down in the corner.

A further converted try from Tom Davenport meant Tyne were staring down the barrel of a 19-0 deficit to overcome.

There was soon reason for optimism though, as a succession of tries before half-time, from fly half Dan Taylor and centre Oli Walker, brought Tynedale to within five points.

The latter, Tynedale’s second, is now being heralded as ‘try of the season’ after starting behind Tyne’s own try line and going the full distance.

A scrum on Tynedale’s five-metre line was duly shoved backwards into the in-goal area, where the home side faithful feared a Sale try was inevitable.

Number eight Scott Powell, however, showed considerable skill in picking the ball from the back of the retreating scrum to find Walker lurking behind the uprights.

Some deft handing, not to mentioning some impressive pace, saw the ball travel up the pitch and over the whitewash in the hands of Walker, where the move began.

After half time, Tyne were buoyed by their improved performance in the closing stages of the first half and came out all guns blazing. They heaped pressure on the visitors, and made regular incursions deep into Sale’s half.

On one such occasion, fly half Matty Outson found touch from a penalty 10 metres from the visitor’s try line.

The subsequent line out immediately bore fruit as a devastating maul from the Tynedale pack could only be stopped illegally and referee Jamie Leahy had no choice but to award Tyne a penalty try between the posts.

Sale rode these periods of pressure well, and the game became more even as the two sides traded a try apiece, from Joe Mills for Tynedale and Adam Aigbokhae for the visitors.

However, Tynedale’s heroic fightback was to be of little consequence as Christopher Townsend delivered the fatal blow to the home side with an unconverted try, before a penalty from Sale’s fly half Liam McGovern finalised the result.

Tynedale’s opponent next week are newly-relegated and friendliest of rivals Wharfedale, who play a similar blend of expansive backs-play and agricultural forwards work.

The battle of the ‘dales at Theshfield should be a fiery encounter, however, as Wharfedale are languishing near the foot of the table and will be looking to put distance between themselves and the possibility of a second consecutive relegation.