HEATH PENALTY COUNT SEES PONTEFRACT SECURE THE POINTS IN DISSAPPOINTING LOSS

Selection
15 Sam Fletcher 14 Eliott Spiers 13 Jack Malthouse 12 Ezra Hinchliffe 11 Callum Harriott-Brown 10 Chris Johnson 9 Dom Walsh 1 Chris Moore 2 Alex McFadden 3 Josh Crickmay 4 Saif Boussaada 5 Fergus Marsden 6 Ian Downsborough 7 Elliott Knight 8 Ben Stringer 16 Dan Cole 17 Dan Fleming 18 Olly Cook

Scorers
Chris Johnson 3 Pens

Report
Heath entertained Pontefract looking to bounce back from a disappointing result against Scunthorpe last week and made one change to the starting fifteen with Jack Malthouse at centre. On the bench sat Dan Cole and Olly Cook alongside new signing Dan Fleming.

In overcast, damp conditions Heath kicked off, playing towards the river end, as the ball found touch. From the line-out Pontefract punted the ball downfield and found touch with a 50-20. Winning the lineout Ponty went in search of a score and converted a penalty in only the second minute to lead 3-0. The visitors continued to press a fragile looking home defence and it came as no surprise to see them extend their lead in the fifth minute with another penalty, 6-0.

Heath were struggling to get hold of the ball but with twelve minutes on the clock they were rewarded with a penalty conversion from Chris Johnson,6-3. However, Pontefract responded and when they won a penalty following a collapsed Heath scrum they converted to lead 9-3. Heath responded and Callum Harriott-Brown was prominent in the next phase of play backed up by Sam Fletcher and Jack Malthouse but the visitors defence was solid with a quarter of the game played. Heath were beginning to take control and from a lineout Ben Stringer and Jack Crickmay made inroads into the visitors defence and as the pressure mounted Heath had to settle for a converted penalty from Chris Johnson to reduce the arrears, 9-6.

Back came Pontefract and with their scrum having the upper hand yet another penalty was converted by Ponty 12-6 with thirty minutes played.

From the re-start Saif Boussadda went on a surging run before Ponty gave away a penalty, Johnson converted 12-9. Pontefract responded with yet another penalty following yet another scum infringement and in frustration Dom Walsh was carded for throwing the ball away and Ponty extended their lead to15-9 with five minutes left to play. Pontefract continued to put Heath under pressure and yet another penalty saw them extend their lead to 18-9 and this could have been more but another penalty was missed by the visitors.

It had been a first half littered with mistakes from Heath but Pontefract had taken full advantage and fully deserved their lead.

Heavy rain greeted both teams at the start of the second half as Dan Fleming and Dan Cole replaced Ian Downsborough and Sam Fletcher. Heath were back to full strength on forty five minutes but it was Pontefract who were dictating play. On fifty minutes Olly Cook received a yellow and Pontefract took advantage with yet another penalty conversion 21-9. Chris Moore returned for Elliott Knight as Heath went in search of the first try of the game but a serious looking injury to Fergus Marsden on the hour mark saw him leave the field with Ian Downsborough returning.

Heath continued to press and when Cook returned Heath were back to full strength but when a score looked on the cards Heath made crucial mistakes and some resolute defending from the visitors prevented any further additions. With Pontefract under pressure an innocuous clearance kick bounced favourably for the visitors and as Heath scrambled back to defend Pontefract chased the ball and scored a converted try 28-9 which just about summed up Heaths day. 

So in a game that had TEN penalty conversions it was Pontefract who won the day. Heath will no doubt be working hard on the training ground next week as they prepare for a visit to Morley to play the first round of the Yorkshire Cup and will return to league action when they travel to in form York. It does not get any easier!!!!!

League Results here.

League Table here.

You are about to navigate away from the Heath RUFC website. Heath RUFC is not responsible for the content of this external site and does not monitor other web sites for accuracy.