NINE TRY ROMP TO SECURE MAXIMUM POINTS

Team 15 Jack Crabtree  14 Luke Saltonstall  13 Issy Spooner  12 Ezra Hinchliffe  11 Callum Harriett-Brown  10 Dan Cole  9 Michael Reynolds  1  Chris Piper  2 Alex McFadden  3 Chris Moore  4 Alex Patrick  5 Fergus Marsden  6 Jonny Cole  7 Jason Merrie  8 Richard Brown  16 Chris Robinson  17 Matt Beasty  18 Seife Boussadda

Coach Dave Harrison made several positional changes to the squad to ensure players had game time in the run up to the end of the season and brought back Luke Saltonstall onto the wing for this important game against bottom club Guisborough. Last week the visitors had a first win of the season beating local rivals Middlesbrough so arrived full of confidence in creating another upset.

Heath had a storming start to the game as Ezra Hinchliffe raced towards the corner flag. He was held up but the onrushing Richard Brown snapped up the ball and bundled over for a try after 3 minutes and Heath led 5-0. Shortly after Jason Merrie had a serious looking ankle injury and was replaced by Matt Beasty as Heath continued the onslaught onto the Guisborough defence. There was some slick passing by the Heath players but unfortunately the final pass was either wayward or dropped, so there was no further score until the 22 minute when Fergus Marsden romped over for a second try, converted by Ezra Hinchliffe and Heath led 12-0. It was all Heath as they battered the visitors defence and Luke Saltonstall went close following a super kick from Michael Reynolds.

Heath were confident in throwing the ball about and when Dan Cole, Ezra Hinchliffe, Jonny Cole, Luke Saltonstall all inter-changed passes from the half way line to the Guisborough twenty-two Issy Spooner collected the final  pass and went in for probably the best try of the season so far, 17-0 on 35 minutes. Guisborough to their credit continued to defend but they could do nothing to prevent a fourth try just before half time. Dan Cole went on a storming 70 metre run but was bundled into touch. From the line-out Heath won the ball and swept it across the back-line to find Luke Saltonstall who went over in the corner. Hichliffe put over a great conversion and Heath led 24-0 as half time arrived.

The second half was relentless from Heath as they pounded the visitors defence and from a neat reverse pass from Michael Reynolds to Richard Brown he went over for his second try, converted by Hinchliffe, and a score of 31-0 with 43 minutes played. Seife Boussadda and Chris Robinson had replaced Matt Beasty and Jack Crabtree and from the re-start Robinson received the ball and burst through a rather static Guisborough defence before releasing Alex Patrick who stormed over for a try, 36-0 on 45 minutes. Heath were buzzing but a lapse of concentration allowed Guisborough to score an unconverted try on 48 minutes 36-5. Un-detered Heath bounced straight back with Seife Bouaadda going over to stretch Heath's lead to 41-5 and then shortly after Boussadda went in for his second try, converted by Hinchliffe, and Heath led 48-5 with 63 minutes played. Heath continued to batter the visitors defence and Richard Brown made it a hat-trick of tries for him with another barnstorming run to round off an excellent performance from Heath and a final score of 55-5.

The win secures second spot in the league with Heath eight points clear of the chasing pack led by Pontefract in third with five games left to play. Next week Heath have another home game against Bradford Salem.