Too much to do after a tough first half.

Heath 2nd xv travelled to Moortown in a league game on a wet and windy afternoon. Heath got the game underway playing up the slight hill and against the wind. Heath made a reasonably good start but the scrum was under pressure from the off. The wet conditions were causing handling difficulties for both sides. The Heath backs had a couple of good runs against their opponents but the first real chance came when the ball was kicked downfield by Moortown and a fortuitous bounce found one of their players who looked a certain scorer before captain and number 8, Karl RABY, made an excellent cover tackle. The ball was eventually turned over and the ball was cleared. However, within a couple of minutes, the home side opened the scoring. The ball was taken on by the forwards for 2 phases before it was passed down the line for the right winger to score in the corner. The conversion was missed. 0-5 after 12 minutes. After 18 minutes, the home side increased their lead when the ball was passed along the back line and the right winger cut inside before being tackled. He then offloaded and the ball was spun down to the right where the home outside half scored a try near to the posts. The conversion was successful. 0-12. Things got worse from the restart when the ball was secured by the Moortown forwards and was spun down the line and the left winger went in at the corner. The conversion was successful. 0-19. Moortown were now dictating matters and Heath were lacking cohesion. It was no surprise when the home side increased their lead from a Heath scrum on their ‘22’. The ball was taken against the head and the number 8 made ground before offloading to his supporting wing forward who scored a try some 15 metres in from touch. The conversion was kicked. 0-26 after 27 minutes. Moortown looked as if they were going to increase their lead after 36 minutes when the left-winger broke down the left but an excellent tackle from wing forward, James LORD, forced him into touch. With the last play of the first half, Moortown extended their lead. The ball was kicked long downfield and although Heath left winger, Riz MUGHAL, was able to pick it up, he was caught by the chasing home players and when his attempted pass back inside to full back, Mick GLEESON, went forward, it bounced into Moortown hands and the try was scored. The conversion was missed. 0-31 at half time. After 44 minutes, Heath opened their account. The ball was kicked downfield deep into Moortown territory and when the defender was caught in possession, Heath regained possession and the ball was passed out to centre, Andy WHITE, who made a very good inside break before passing inside for the supporting scrum half, Gary PIDGEON, to dive in for a try between the posts. Outside half, Edward CARTWRIGHT, converted. 7-31. After 51 minutes, Heath reduced the deficit further when Mick GLEESON put in an excellent long kick and chased the same. He secured the ball just short of the line with a dive onto it, just in front of the Moortown winger. The ball was then spun down the line and James LORD drove for the line and although he was tackled short, scrum half Gary PIDGEON passed the ball to the right where Andy WHITE took it well before planting it down over the line. Edward CARTWRIGHT converted well from the touchline. 14-31. The tactics of kicking deep into the opposition half was starting to pay off for the Heath lads. From a penalty in the Heath half, the ball was kicked downfield and when it was kicked back, covering prop, Oliver COOK, then kicked the some 40 metres with an excellent touch-finder. Heath kept Moortown in their ‘22’ and from a line out, the ball was passed to Edward CARTWRIGHT who did 2 miss moves with the centres before showing his pace to go through a gap between centre and winger to score a good individual try just to the side of the posts. He converted the try himself. 21-31 after 56 minutes. After 59 minutes, both sides were reduced to 14 men when captain, ,Karl RABY and the Moortown wing forward engaged in a bit of fisticuffs. Play was now concentrated in the Heath half and they were finding it difficult to relieve the pressure. After 70 minutes, Tim COOK replaced son, Oliver, in the front row. There then followed a period of intense pressure on the Heath line but excellent defence kept them out. However, Moortown made the pressure pay when the outside half dropped a goal after 72 minutes. 21-34. Moortown continued to dictate but the game ended with Heath camped on the Moortown line after both Gary PIDGEON and Karl RABY were held just short of the line. Final score 21-34. After a very disappointing first half, the Heath lads then dug in well in the second half and showed exactly what they were capable of. However, the 31 point first half deficit was too much to drag back. Man of the match awards go to centre, Andy WHITE who had a good game in defence and also showed some very neat touches in attack; and wing forward, Craig AMBLER who gave a 100% performance on his return from his neck injury.