HEATH MADE TO BATTLE HARD AGAINST VISITORS SCUNTHORPE BUT COME AWAY WITH MAXIMUM POINTS TO MOVE THEM UP TO SECOND PLACE IN THE LEAGUE

Selection:

15 Sam Fletcher 14 Elliott Spiers 13 Joe Morrison 12 Tom Owen 11 Callum Harriott-Brown 10 Chris Johnson 9 Dom Walsh 1 Paul Turner 2 Alex McFadden 3 Chris Moore 4 Matt Beasty 5 Seif Boussaada 6 Ollie Hague 7 Fergus Marsden 8 Ben Stringer 16 Matthew Pilcher 17 Ian Downsborough 18 Jack Pilcher

Scorers:

Elliott Spiers 3 tries, Alex McFadden, Callum Harriott-Brown, Sam Fletcher, Matthew Hallett 1 penalty try  Chris Johnson 4 cons 

Report:

Heath welcomed Scunthorpe to North Dean for a first ever meeting. Absent was Harvey Keighley-Payne, holiday, so Seif Boussaada returned to first team action. Coach Sid Sales gave a starting berth to Sam Fletcher at full back with Matthew Hallett moving onto the bench alongside Jack Pilcher and club stalwart Ian Downsborough. 

North Dean was packed to the rafters with the crowd eagerly expectant of witnessing another enthralling encounter and with bright sunshine greeting the teams Heath kicked off, playing towards the Stainland Road end. It was a good start from both sides who were happy to throw the ball around looking for an opening score and when a clearance kick from Scunthorpe bounced awkwardly for the Heath defence, centre Will Harrison, chased down to touchdown for a try to open the scoring, 5-0 with five minutes played.

Heath's response was immediate and from the re-start hesitant play from Scunthorpe saw Callum Harriott-Brown steal the ball to go over for a try, converted by Chris Johnson and Heath led 7-5 with six minutes played.

It had been a frantic start to the game with the visitors responding with some fine attacking rugby and Heath had to be at their best in defence. A fine run from Sam Fletcher enabled Heath to gain valuable yardage and as the ball came out to the supporting Ben Stringer the visitors gave away a penalty. Heath opted for the scrum and with the pack in control of the ball Scunthorpe were put under pressure. Patience was required with Heath keeping hold of the ball and the break came eventually when Fletcher collected and went under the posts for a second try, again converted by Johnson and Heath increased their lead to 14-5 with eighteen minutes played.

From the re-start Scunthorpe were awarded a penalty and Harrison converted 14-8. The visitors were now playing with confidence as they went in search of adding to their score and the Heath defence had to be solid to keep them at bay. When Chris Johnson put in yet another huge clearance kick, which found touch in the visitors 22, Ben Stringer soared high to collect the ball and the Heath forwards drove for the line. Urged on by the home crowd Alex McFadden emerged with the ball and a third try, converted by Johnson, 21-8 with twenty- five minutes on the clock.

Heath were gradually taking control with Johnson splaying the ball around the park putting the visitors defence under constant pressure. On the half hour mark Chris Moore and Ollie Hague were replaced by Jack Pilcher and Ian Downsborough but the latter's first touch of the ball saw him yellow carded for holding on and Heath were down to fourteen. Scunthorpe took advantage scoring a try in the corner, 21-13. An injury to a Scunthorpe prop in the build-up to the try saw the game halted for a while and he had to leave the field. When the game re-started both teams played out the remaining time and half time arrived with the game finely balanced.

The second half began with Scunthorpe looking to get another score and they were rewarded for their efforts with a penalty on forty-three minutes reducing the arrears 21-16 and it was game on. Heath had made a lethargic start to the half and had been punished but this seemed to get them into gear. From the re-start Harriott-Brown was quick off the mark to chase down the ball and with the home side in possession patient play saw them rewarded with a try from Elliott Spiers 26-16.

Credit must go to Scunthorpe who continued to battle to try and find a way back into the game but Heath were now taking control in what was becoming a bruising battle. Sam Fletcher left the field with a shoulder injury so Matthew Hallett came on from the bench and shortly after Matt Beasty came off with a hand injury so Ollie Hague returned.

Next up the Scunthorpe prop had to leave the field resulting in uncontested scrums and from the re-start the Heath pack took control and the referee had no option but to award a penalty try on the hour mark, 33-16. Once again the visitors, to their credit, tried to get back into the game but there was no way through the home side's sandbagging defence and when Heath strung together some superb passing phases, Elliott Spiers was on hand to round off a brilliant period of play to score his second try, converted by Chris Johnson, 40-16.

Scunthorpe responded with more attacking play but when Spiers collected a loose ball in his own 22 he set off on a seventy metre run chased down by three visiting players to complete his hat trick try on seventy minutes for a score of 45-16. It was now time to ring the changes by the Heath coaching team giving players rest time in what had been a bruising battle. Scunthorpe continued to work hard but they had no resilience left as Matthew Hallett waltzed in for a final try just before full time and the game was won 50-16.

This had been a thoroughly entertaining game played by two excellent teams with the visitors never giving up the cause. Heath had once again battled hard to run in eight tries and 50 points with the result moving them up to second place in the league one point behind Driffield. Next week it’s a visit to Nottingham to take on bottom club West Bridgford. See you there.

....and, nearly, finally:

As well as photos here, Vic Heritage came to the game and more pictures can be found on his Facebook site.

Finally:

Where do we stand in the league and what were the other results?

Results:  Click HERE

Table:  Click HERE

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