A good win hopefully starts the ball rolling.

Heath 2nd xv entertained Skipton 2nd xv at West Vale in a league game played in near-perfect conditions with the sun shining and on good, firm ground. It was the visitors who started brightest and dictated matters in the first few minutes. It came as no surprise when they took the lead in the 6th minute with an unconverted try. From a 5 metre scrum, the Skipton number 8 picked up and drove the ball in well before placing the ball over the whitewash. 0 – 5 Heath came back into the game and outside half, Mick GLEESON, made a break into the opposition half. The final pass to left winger, Kofi BROBBEY, went astray and a Skipton scrum ensued. Heath gained a penalty at the set piece and Mick GLEESON kicked to within 8 metres of the Skipton line. Number 8, Emlyn JAMES, took the ball at the rear of the line out and immediately fed it back inside to wing forward, Richard HOPKINSON, who ploughed over 15 metres in from touch. Full back, Matthew COOK, converted well. 7 – 5 after 17 minutes. Heath immediately increased their lead from the restart. Try scorer, ‘Hoppy’, took the ball from the kick off and made ground into the opposition half before throwing out an excellent pass to centre, Andy WHITE, who made good metres before passing wide to Kofi on the left wing. He took the ball and sprinted down the touchline, outpacing 2 defenders, to score a well-taken try. Matthew COOK was unable to convert. 12 – 5. After 22 minutes, Skipton reduced the deficit with a penalty in front of the posts. 12 – 8. After 33 minutes, Andy WHITE had to leave the field with a hand injury. Shortly afterwards, Mick GLEESON made a superb break in midfield and outstripped the defence to score under the posts. Cookie converted. 19 v 8 after 35 minutes. On the stroke of half time, Skipton closed the gap with an unconverted try in the corner. Half time: Heath 19 v 13 Skipton A number of rolling replacements had been made during the first half and more followed during the half time interval. Heath started the second half brightly and increased their lead with a converted try after 48 minutes. The home side gained good position in the Skipton ‘22’ and scrum half, Matthew PRICE picked up at the rear of a ruck and sprinted 10 metres to the line for a good try converted by young Cookie. 26 v 13 However, Skipton came back into the game when their prop forward took the ball into the Heath ‘22’ before being tackled. The ball was recirculated and it was passed down the blind side where a Skipton player was able to score an unconverted try in the corner. 26 – 18. The game was very even but in the 63rd minute, Heath put daylight between the 2 teams once more. Mick GLEESON took the ball into the opposition ‘22’ before passing to the supporting centre, Richard DANCE, who used his bulk to score a try by the side of the posts which was duly converted by Cookie. 33 – 18 For the rest of the half, neither side had any real try-scoring opportunities and the scoring appeared to have finished. However, Mick GLEESON ran the ball in his ‘22’ and passed it to the left. However, the ball struck a Skipton players’ hand and went forwards. He then picked it up and scored near the posts, the referee being unsighted. The conversion was missed. This was the last piece of action as referee Sid MATTHEWS brought the game to an end Full time: Heath 33 v 23 Skipton. This was a good, confidence-boosting win for the Heath lads and hopefully, from now on, it will be onwards and upwards!!! Man of the match awards go to scrum half, Matthew PRICE, who provided an excellent link between forwards and backs and distributed well throughout; and, in the forwards, flanker Richard HOPKINSON who had an excellent game in the loose both in attack and in defence. Both lads scored good tries also. Heath had 16 players for this match and when Old Rishworthians 2nd xv were let down late by their opponents, a number of the Rish lads came along for a game. This allowed a number of rolling substitutions to be made during the match. All the Rish boys made good, positive contributions when they entered the fray and I would like to thank all of these players for their efforts this afternoon