Heath just miss out.

Heath Firsts. A thoroughly enjoyable game saw Heath lose out as Goole managed to hang on for the league points. At the start, both sides were evenly matched and the two packs tested each other out. The visitors broke the deadlock, when scrum half Neil took three points from a penalty. Heath immediately hit back and following a superb kick through, by stand off Ryan Piper, centre Mark Garside went over for a try, converted by Piper. The West Vale men were now 7 – 3 up. Goole came back strongly themselves and a clever kick enabled their winger to go over as Heath’s Fermoyle and Hetherington hesitated. This try was converted for the visitors to lead 10 – 7 after around ¼ hrs play. However, winger Fermoyle quickly made amends and snatched a try from a Goole mistake, though Piper missed the difficult conversion. Heath were now in front at 12 – 10. Heath were now playing some excellent rugby in a game that see sawed back and forth. Some good work by centre Martin White released winger Mick Gleeson, who headed for the corner. A covering tackle brought him down short of the line, but the ball was popped to supporting number 8, Ian Downsborough, who scored to move Heath on to 17 – 10, after 18 minutes. Andy White then replaced the injured Garside at centre, and slotted quickly in to a rampaging heath line up. Eddie Blackmore once again made a charging run to set up fellow backrower Joe Shipman, though he was held short. Goole managed to clear their line and, following some poor Heath defensive work, managed to score a try on 28 minutes. This was converted for the scores to moved to 17 a piece. However, this failed to deter the West Vale men and, from the kick off, Downsborough released Andy White, who went in under the posts for a Piper converted try. 24 – 17 to Heath after 30 minutes play. Back came Goole and, when a Heath ball went astray, they gained a penalty to move the score line closer at 24 – 20. Five minutes later they took another three points from a penalty, moving on to 24 – 23 for half time. The second half started like the first, with both sides working hard to score and it was again Heath who scored the first try, when a set play from a line out released Downsborough, who laid off to Eddie Blackmore for an unconverted try. 29 – 23 to Heath. Grant Turton then replaced injured prop Andy Piper while Heath came under some sustained pressure, which resulted in a penalty to the visitors and the score coming closer at 29 – 26. Ten minutes later Goole worked a converted try to retake the lead at 33 – 29. Undeterred, Heath battled back and Downsborough, Fermoyle and Blackmore all went close to collecting points from that vital try. Unfortunately, for Heath, Goole struck back with a well-taken drop and inched forward to 36 – 29. Despite only minutes remaining, Heath weren’t giving up and a well worked, hard fought period of play from the West Vale men took them right up to the Goole line, where momentum was stopped only by a cynical piece of foul play in the ruck, which saw the visitor’s full back sin binned but no penalty try awarded. The resulting penalty didn’t bring the points the home side deserved and play was over when the ball was cleared to touch.