HEATH OVERCOME A SPIRITED SANDAL TO SECURE MAXIMUM POINTS

Selection
15 Dan Cole 14 Sam Fletcher 13 Callum Harriott-Brown 12 Ezra Hinchliffe 11 Jake Haynes 10 Chris Johnson 9 Sam Cox 1 Olly Cook 2 Alex McFadden 3 Chris Moore 4 Pete Hampshire 5 Alex Patrick 6 Ben Stringer 7 Jonny Cole 8 Tom Clough 16 Elliott Knight 17 Seif Boussaada 18 Jack Pilcher
 
Scorers
Jake Haynes 2 tries. Olly Cook 1 try. Tom Clough 1 try. Alex McFadden 1 try.  Chris Johnson 2 cons 1 pen. Ezra Hinchliffe 1 con.

Report
Heath entertained Sandal, looking to maintain their unbeaten run but were made to battle to ensure a win against a side struggling to keep clear of the drop zone. Sam Fletcher had a start on the wing and Olly Cook also began at prop with Seif Boussaada, Elliott Knight and Jack Pilcher on the bench. Conditions were ideal as both teams entered the pitch with the home crowd expectant of another win.

Sandal kicked off playing towards the Stainland Road end but it was Heath who put the visitors under early pressure, though they could not make this count. Sandal eventually gained access to the Heath half, after ten minutes and continued to press for a score.  On the half hour mark, they were rewarded with an unconverted try 5-0. 

Heath were not at the races as they tried to get back into the game and Jack Pilcher came on for Jonny Cole, who had a blood injury, and he was immediately in the thick of things. A penalty from Chris Johnson found touch and from the line out Alex Patrick secured ball, the drive was on and up popped Olly Cook to secure a try, converted by Chris Johnson, 7-5, with five minutes left to half time.

This seemed to inspire Heath as Seif Boussaada came on for Pete Hampshire but, despite some strong running from the forwards, there was no further score as the half time whistle sounded. 

The second half began with Heath looking for an opening. Jonny Cole returned for Olly Cook as Heath kicked deep and Sandal returned the compliment only for the ball to find Tom Clough who went on one of his scorching runs, evading several tackles, to score under the posts for a converted try 14-5 with a minute played. 

However, Sandal responded, keeping possession and were rewarded with a penalty conversion to reduce the arrears 14-8 with forty-eight minutes on the clock. Heath continued to dominate the scrums as the visitors began to tire, became encamped in their own 22 and were guilty of some high tackling which did not help their cause. From one, Chris Johnson converted a penalty, 17-8 and from the re-start Sandal were guilty of being off-side. The resulting scrum saw the ball come out to Jake Haynes but he was caught with a high tackle and the referee had no option but to card a Sandal player, as the visitors defence was put under severe pressure. 

Heath continued to press home their advantage and, following some superb handling along the backs, Haynes finished off the move with an unconverted try, 22-8. 

Sam Fletcher made way for Elliott Knight as Heath began to turn the screw, taking the visitors defence apart and were rewarded again with a second try from Jake Haynes, 27-8.

With ten minutes remaining Olly Cook returned for Chris Moore and with Sandal still under pressure they had a player receive a red card for a second offence. From the re-start, following good work from the Heath pack, Alex McFadden emerged with the ball to secure the try, this time converted by Ezra Hinchliffe, 34-8. 

Credit must go to Sandal who continued to battle and deep into injury time they were rewarded with an unconverted try for a final score of 34-13.

Despite the score line, this was a real battle of a game. It was a stop start performance from Heath, but they secured maximum points to stay top of the league. Next up, before the Christmas break, it is a trip to Teesside to take on Middlesbrough. As always, see you there!!   
 

League Results, here.

League Table, here.

Photography:  courtesy of Bev Clough.  More of her photos can be viewed here.

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