Selections
15 Sam Fletcher 14 Elliott Spiers 13 Jordan Bradbrook 12 Chris Johnson 11 Callum Harriott-Brown 10 Dan Cole 9 Dom Walsh 1 Paul Turner 2 Alex McFadden 3 Chris Moore 4 Saif Boussaada 5 Matt Beasty 6 Harvey Keighley-Payne 7 Jonny Cole 8 Ben Stringer 16 Elliott Knight 17 Jack Malthouse 18 Olly Cook
Scorers
Sam Fletcher 1 try Elliott Knight 1 try Chris Johnson 1 try 3 cons 3 pens
Report
Heath entertained champions Billingham in their final league game of the season and were forced into several changes due to the unavailability of players. Fergus Marsden and Jason Merrie were notable absentees so Matt Beasty and Jonny Cole stepped in to bolster the pack. Sam Fletcher kept his place at full back while on the bench Jack Malthouse came in sitting alongside Elliott Knight and Olly Cook.
Billingham arrived at North Dean for a first ever visit and were looking to complete the double after securing a win back in October. Conditions were perfect for this vital game as Heath went in search of securing points to snatch second spot. A large crowd had gathered to witness the game as Heath kicked off playing towards the Stainland Road end and were quickly on the attack as they went looking for an early score to settle the nerves.
Early lineouts were won by Ben Stringer and Saif Boussaada and a kick through from Chris Johnson saw Sam Fletcher chase the ball as the visitors grappled to prevent a score. Next up, strong runs from Boussaada and Matt Beasty saw Heath encamped in the visitors 22 but Billingham were resilient. The visitors first visit into the Heath 22 came after 12 minutes and it was Heaths turn to show how to defend and from a clearance kick by Chris Johnson they attempted an audacious drop kick attempt from the half way line which just fell short of the posts. A quickly taken tap start from Jordan Bradbrook saw him go on a run as he passed some desperate defending from the visitors before being held up ten metres from the visitors try-line. From the scrum the ball came out to Bradbrook and a superb under arm pass to Sam Fletcher saw the full back cross the line for a try, converted by Johnson and Heath led 7-0 with 25 minutes on the clock.
It had been a titanic start to the game as both sides worked hard to defend their lines but it was Heath who were the strongest and they were in no mood to allow Billingham to score any points.
On the half hour mark Chris Johnson stepped up to slot over a penalty conversion and Heath increased their lead, 10-0. Time for change as Olly Cook and Elliott Knight replaced Paul Turner and Jonny Cole who had both put in a superb effort as Billingham responded with some excellent rugby. However, Heath were in a determined mood not to concede and when the referee blew for half time it was the end of an enthralling forty minutes with the game still anyones for the taking.
The second half saw the visitors once again test the home defence and when Chris Moore was carded Heath were up against it. Billingham took advantage and slotted over a penalty to reduce the arrears but Heath response was immediate as Johnson converted a penalty and a score of 13-3 with 50 minutes played.
Billingham became frustrated with the Heath gameplan but when Turner and Cole returned to the action, replacing Matt Beasty, Heath were back up to full compliment with no damage done. The game was now being run by Heath as Harvey Keighley-Payne went on a barnstorming run supported by Olly Cook as the weather turned and we had a downpour of rain to add to the mix.
With 15 minutes to go, Dan Cole came off for Jack Malthouse. Billingham were getting more and more frustrated at their inability to add to their score and, after an incident at a scrum - in front of a packed stand of outraged home side spectators, the offending player was replaced by the visitors' coaching staff. That said, Heath weren't put off their game and they went in search of adding to their score. Sam Fletcher collected a high clearance and went on a storming run before being stopped, picking up an injury and having to be replaced by Dan Cole.
Shortly after, Chris Moore returned for Olly Cook. With time ticking by, the Billingham supporters realised their team were not going to score and when Chris Johnson converted another penalty 16-3 the game looked dead and buried. Heath had other ideas and continued to mount raids into the visitors defence and when Elliott Knight rounded off a superb move to score a converted try on eighty minutes this added to their woes. Then deep into injury time, Heath rubbed salt into their wounds with a superb full length move as Chris Johnson touched down for a third converted try and Heath had routed the Champions with a 30-3 victory.
The win for Heath secured the runners up spot in their first season at Level 5 rugby and ensured no club in the league had completed a double over the boys in maroon and green. Attention now moves to the Papa Johns National Cup competition which begins with a visit to Blackburn on April 1st After that there are two home games against Bromsgrove and Lymm and with the final held at Twickenham at the end of April dare we believe!!! See you there!!!!
Last Games: Results
Final Table: Here
The Clubhouse
North Dean
Stainland Rd
Greetland
Halifax
HX4 8LS
