Fine Home Win

TRIES: Beever (2), Whitworth, Greenwood, Saltonstall, & Cockroft.

CONS: Cole (3).

Heath welcomed Northallerton to North Dean on a beautiful afternoon in the teams first home game of the season.

The match was a double header, both League and Second Team Cup,  so the stakes were high. The away team arrived with a huge side who had a basic but effective approach to the game, this was evident in the first minute when stand off Junaid Malik was launched into orbit by their gigantic centre. Heath weathered the early pressure and replied with a well worked try, James Whitworth finishing out wide, Richard Cole narrowly missing the conversion.

Heath should have added to their tally but clean breaks were not finished and the returning Emlyn James had a try ruled out for a forward pass. Northallertonn dominated possession for the next period of the game, Heath defended their line superbly until the visitors lively scrum half jinked over to level the scores. Their monsterous centre would have scored if Brooke Ward hadn't dislodged the ball two metres out. Heath finished strongly, the impressive and ever elusive Matthew Wilkinson snapped up the ball from a ruck inside his own half, beating several defenders on a mazy run before finding Chris Beever who finished wide out for an unconverted try.

On the stroke of half time, Heath attacked blind, Cole and Malik combined before the miss out pass put Danny Greenwood clean through to score next to the posts. Cole had his conversion attempt charged down - 15-5 HT.

Heath had a disastrous start to the second half conceding a scrappy try in the corner. Northallerton pressed and only great defence and clearing kicks kept the home side in front, captain Mark Puttick turned over a number of defenders and converted back rower Cameron Ramsden worked tirelessly to repel the visitors. Heath put daylight between them with two tries, both similar, with Tom Cockroft breaking and kicking ahead, Luke Saltonstall chased and scored the first and Beever got a lovely bounce to score his second. Both tries were converted by Cole to put some daylight between the teams.

Northallertons scum half scored again before Cockroft snapped up a loose ball and sprinted eighty metres to score, Cole converted superbly from the touchline.

This was a superb response from the team after last week's disappointing result at Rishies.