A brief lack of Concentration and Discipline Costs Heath

Seven minutes is all it took for Heath to lose concentration and discipline and allow Bridlington to draw away from them in a game that up to the 68th minute could have gone either way with the score 15-11 in the home sides favour although Heath were pressing for that vital score to take the lead. It started well for Heath who welcomed back into the starting line-up Chris Piper and Mark Puttick and had Rondene Johnson, Alex McFadden and Mark Sales on the bench as Coach Dave Harrison kept faith with the players who scrapped a win last week at home to West Park. Following excellent work along the back line, started by Ezra Hinchliffe who released Cameron Ramsden and Si Brown, Callum Harriet-Brown went over for a try in the corner. Unfortunately the conversion was blown back as Heath were playing into a strong wind but Heath led 5-0 after 2 minutes. Bridlington could not cope with the fast pace of the game with Josh White leading by example and driving his pack forwards and Dom Walsh doing all he could to get the backs moving. Gradually the home side came to terms with the pace of the game but despite the efforts of Bridlington to get over the try line they found a Heath team determined to shut them out with Matt Beasty and Fergus Marsden winning good line out ball and the terrier like tackling from Peter Birkett and Howards Hanks and the ball carrying of Piper, Puttick and Olly Cook it wasn’t until the 30th minute that Bridlington got on the scoreboard with a penalty 5-3. This was quickly cancelled out from the restart when Ezra Hinchliffe converted a penalty for Heath to keep the lead at 8-3. Bridlingtons fly half Matiu Welch was becoming a danger and a clever slick pass saw full back Jack Arthur go in for a try under the posts for Bridlington to go in at half time leading 10-8. It had been an excellent first half for Heath who could be well pleased with their first half performance. Half time replacements for Heath came in the form of Alex McFadden and Rondene Johnson who replaced Mark Puttick and Olly Cook. Heath began the second half where they left off and when a surging run from Josh White on 42 minutes he released Hinchliffe who linked up with Sam Pollard and Jack Crabtree only to see Harriet-Brown hauled into touch a few metres from the Bridlington try line. Bridlington came back into the game and following ill-discipline from Heath resulting in a penalty a quick tap saw the home side score a try to lead 15-8 on 52 minutes against the run of play. Back came Heath and following good work from Piper and Birkett on 60 minutes they were awarded a penalty which Hinchliffe converted and the Heath boys were back in the game 15-11. Cook and Puttick returned to the fray replacing Piper and Hanks. On 67 minutes Heath had a let off as Bridlington missed an easy opportunity to score a try but from a deep drop out from Heaths 22 Bridlington waltzed through a non- existent Heath defence for Welch to score under the posts and Bridlington led 20-11 after 68 minutes. Then followed the amazing seven minutes as Heath had lost concentration and discipline and for some un- explained reason they conceded two further tries from Welch and Davies and with five minutes remaining the game had gone as Bridlington led 32-11. Sales came on for Crabtree to try and rescue something for the visitors but to no avail and Heath had lost the game. It was very disappointing for the players and the large Heath following as they had matched everything that Bridlington had thrown at them and could easily have snatched a win but for that elusive SEVEN minutes.