Selection:
Team: Kerr, M.Puttick, Heron, Milner, Shipman, Wilby, Wilkinson, Ward, Sharp, R.Cole, Taylor, Webb, Storey, Mollet, Hinchliffe.
Whitworth, Burbidge, Thornton, B. Puttick, & Wadsworth.

Scorers:

Tries: M.Puttick (2), Wilkinson & Burbidge.
Cons: R.Cole (3).

Report:

Heath went into this game looking for their first league win of the season.

The home side started brightly and with better ball control should have scored in the early exchanges. Adam Milner and George Heron were carrying well, punching holes from Sam Sharp’s short passing game. The scrum was dominant and from a couple of blind side moves involving the impressive Brook Ward and Tobias Hinchliffe, debutant Alex Taylor was unlucky with the final passes.

After a couple of strong drives near the Cleckheaton line, Matthew Wilkinson emerged from a ruck to score next to the posts, Richard Cole converted. However, when Heath should have kicked on, the visitors had their best spell of the game, capitalising on mistakes and missed tackles to register 3 unanswered scores to open up a 7-19 lead. When Heath finally got hold of the ball again, they managed to put a number of phases together, centres Gaz Webb and Jacob Storey finding space, and forwards Paddy Kerr and Joe Shipman driving hard. Finally a long pass found Mark Puttick in space wide on the left, holding off the defence to dot down for an unconverted try. With seconds remaining Heath conceded on half time, 12-26.

Oli Burbidge, Ben Puttick and Jack Thornton entered the fray to kickstart a fight back. The returning Oliver Wilby was defending well and turning over ball and Ben Puttick was carrying hard. After sustained pressure Burbidge snapped up a loose ball to rampage over from 40 metres for an impressive score, Cole converted. Hinchliffe release the elusive Jack Mollet on a couple of occasions to surge into the opposition half. With the scrum continuing to give Cleck a torrid time, an injury changed the scrummaging to uncontested. Heath continued to camp in the visitors half and Mark Puttick scored from close range, Cole converted from wide out to tie the scores.

On a rare visit to Heath’s half Cleckheaton’s big centre crashed over for an unconverted try. Wilkinson left the field with a head injury to be replaced by the inspired James Whitworth who ran hard and was unlucky not to score. With just under twenty minutes remaining Heath threw everything at the visitors, Cole put Hinchliffe clean through only to slip at the vital moment when it looked like a certain score. Webb went close on a couple of occasions and Thornton couldn’t gather a long pass with the line open.

Unfortunately the vital score didn’t happen, full time 26-31.

This was a much improved performance in a game where the whole squad showed character and great determination to fight back and should have at least secured a deserved draw. Great to have returning players and lads on debut, long may it continue.