SALE FC’s fourth game in National League One was a nail-biter with a powerful Rotherham Titans side snatching a 32-27 victory in the last few minutes.

After an early penalty for Sale FC, the Titans equalised and by 15 minutes had bagged their first try, with new prop Will Dennis driving over the line and Alex Dolly converting.

The Titans kept up the momentum, making steady progress to the line leading to a penalty.

Opting for a scrum, number eight Seb Nagle-Taylor found second-row forward Preston-Routledge who ran the try home, again converted by full-back Dolly.

With half time approaching, the Sale scrum was under pressure and a drive left Tom Ailes injured and unable to continue.

The match restarted with a Titans scrum, cleared directly into touch from outside their 22.

From the line-out, Sale drove to the try line, substitute Dan Birchall powering over to score in the final minute of the half with a Chris Johnson conversion making the score at half time 17-10 to the hosts.

The second half saw a Sale FC penalty and an unconverted try for Titans, before Adam Aigbokhae brought the visitors their second try, Johnson putting the conversion over the bar.

On 55 minutes a penalty for the visitors reduced the gap to two points.

Ten minutes later, a Sale clearance was collected comfortably then inexplicably kicked backwards over the Titans' dead-ball line leading to a scrum on the hosts' five-metre line.

Captain Andy Hughes powered over giving Sale the lead and Matthew Bradley converted this into a five-point advantage.

But it was to be a short-lived lead. From a scrum inside their 22, Sale attempted to pass the ball across the backs, but Titans substitute Ellis Abrahams reached for an interception which he managed to retain, scoring under the posts from close range, the try converted by Dolly.

A final penalty for Titans secured the home side a hard-fought victory.

Meanwhile Sale’s second team, faced Caldy’s number two squad at home.

From the off Sale’s second XV were on the back foot, with the Caldy players running the hard lines and landing their first try inside four minutes.

At one-point Caldy were 28 points ahead, but Sale refused to lie down with forwards Joseph Kelly, Witness Mandizha and John Blanchard (junior and senior) working hard to keep their hopes alive.

The efforts of these players were rewarded when scrum-half Sam Stelmaszek went over for the first of his two tries, leading to Sale getting themselves in to the game.

It was a good match for spectators with plenty of tries, but ultimately it was Caldy who emerged the victors 52-34.