HEATH SECURE MAXIMUM POINTS IN BLAYDON BATTLE

Selection
15 Callum Harriott-Brown 14 Jake Haynes 13 Dominic Horn 12 Ezra Hinchliffe 11 Jack Bruce 10 Chris Johnson 9 Dom Walsh 1 Olly Cook 2 Alex McFadden 3 Josh Crickmay 4 Seif Boussaada 5 Pete Hampshire 6 Alex Patrick 7 Harvey Keighley-Payne 8 Jonny Garrity 16 Sam Sharp 17 Elliott Knight 18 Chris Moore

Scorers
Jack Bruce 1 try   Callum Harriott-Brown 1 try    Olly Cook 1 try     Alex McFadden 1 try 
Chris Johnson 2 cons

Report
Heath entertained lowly Blaydon looking to bounce back from defeat last week away to Alnwick but were forced into several changes due to injury and unavailability. Jake Haynes and Dom Horne started with Joe Morrison injured and Elliot Knight on the bench. The forwards saw a start for prop Olly Cook playing his three hundredth game for the club and Jonny Garrity starting for the injured Tom Clough while on the bench there was a debut League appearance for Sam Sharp.

Heath kicked off playing towards the Stainland Road end and were quickly out of the starting blocks as they looked for an early score. The first scrum saw the home side dominate as with the line out and when Harvey Keighley-Payne secured ball Heath drove for the try-line before it was spun out to Jack Bruce, who scored in the corner, 5-0 with twelve minutes played.

It was a positive start from Heath who were playing with much more conviction as the visitors struggled to come to terms with the pace of the game giving away numerous penalties but as half time approached Heath had not added to their tally. A drive from Seif Boussaada who linked up with Pete Hampshire saw a Blaydon player injured and the referee had no option but to stop the game. After a short break the re-start saw Heath drive for the line and following several drives the ball was flung out to Callum Harriott-Brown who crossed the whitewash in the corner for a second try, converted by Chris Johnson, and a score of 12-0 as the half time whistle sounded was just reward. 

The second half saw Blaydon come out fired up  and they had the perfect start scoring a converted try after forty-three minutes, 12-7, and it was game on.

Blaydon continued to go in search of adding to their score but Heath were in no mood to concede and when a penalty from Chris Johnson found touch in the corner Heath had an opportunity to add to their tally. A  superb run from Ezra Hinchliffe set up a chance and after several drives Olly Cook emerged with the ball for a try, converted by Johnson, which saw Heath extend their lead 19-7 with fifty minutes on the clock.

Time for change as Chris Moore, Sam Sharp and Elliott Knight came on replacing Jack Bruce, Olly Cook and Jonny Garrity and all three were quickly involved in the next play as Heath went looking for a bonus point fourth try. From yet another line-out ball Heath won and drove forwards and Alex McFadden was there to dive over the line, 24-7, with fifty-five minutes played.

Credit to Blaydon they continued to work hard to try and get back into the match but as the game wound down and with players being changed Heath lost a little momentum and the visitors were rewarded with a try in the last few minutes for a final score of 24-12.

This was a much better performance from Heath who deserved to secure maximum points from the game. Attention now turns to next week's journey over to the East coast to take on leaders Scunthorpe. See you there!!!! 

League Results, here. 

League Table, here.

Photoghraphy - Bev Clough and Vic Heritage were with us to record the game.  Bev's Facebook page is here and Vic's is here.  Both well worth a visit.

Bev's photos accompany this Report and Vic's are here, as a Rugby News item.  Enjoy.

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.