Fine Victory with some excellent performances .....

Heath 2nd xv made the trip to Leeds to take on their Moortown counterparts on a cool, overcast day on a heavy pitch. They travelled with 20 players and Moortown had 13 only so Gareth OWEN and Stuart ABERDEEN assisted the Moortown cause. Heath played up the slight hill in the first half with a strong wind blowing straight across the pitch. Moortown got the game underway. The kick did not reach the 10 metres line and Heath opted for a scrum back on halfway. After winning the ball at the scrum, Heath entered the home side half which is where they remained for the vast majority of the first half. The game started with uncontested scrums as Moortown awaited the arrival of their hooker. After 4 minutes, the outside half, Andy WHITE, took the ball into contact where it was recycled by the forwards and after a couple of drives, debutant flanker, Jack BLACKHALL, with the assistance of Steve RICHARDSON and Emlyn JAMES was pushed over the line to score the first try of the afternoon. COOKIE missed the conversion. 0 – 5 From the restart, Heath soon got back into opposition territory and after a good positional kick by Andy WHITE, skipper Guy AUSTIN tackled the defending player. He passed the ball out which was knocked forwards and flanker, Olly WILBY tried to pick up the ball for what would have been a certain try. Unfortunately, he also knocked-on and an attacking scrum from the first offence ensued. From the now-contested scrum, Heath took the ball and after a couple of forward drives, the ball was passed down the line where Olly WILBY took a pass around his feet and scampered over from 10 metres. COOKIE converted. 0 – 12 after 11 minutes. Heath continued to press but the Moortown defence was holding solid. However, after 24 minutes, the forwards laid the platform once again in the home ‘22’ and Jack BLACKHALL took the ball some 15 metres out from the try line. Although a Moortown player tried to shoulder charge him, he took this in his stride and was able to score a good try in the corner. The conversion was missed. 0 – 17 Shortly afterwards, prop Steve RICHARDSON left the field to be replaced by Johnno BURTON. However, the same switch had to be made after 31 minutes when Johhno had to leave the field with a recurrence of his ankle injury picked up a few weeks since. After 35 minutes, Heath were awarded a 5 metres attacking scrum. The home pack totally disintegrated and the referee had no hesitation in giving the penalty try which was converted by COOKIE. The half time whistle then blew. Moortown 0 – 24 Heath At half time, COOKIE left the field to be replaced at full back by Guy AUSTIN with Danny HOLT now playing on the wing. Heath kicked off and Moortown were put under pressure straightaway. The ball remained in the home sides’ half and after 4 minutes, Guy AUSTIN was held up over the try line and an attacking 5 metres scrum followed. However, this came to nought but Heath remained in the Moortown half. In the first 15 minutes of the second half, Moortown entered the Heath half on 2 occasions only and these were both very brief visits. Heath continued to hammer the Moortown try line and were either just short or held up over the line on numerous occasions. However, on 57 minutes, the second half deadlock was broken when the ball was passed down the line where Guy AUSTIN entered the line and slid into the corner for a try. Zak DEWHIRST missed the conversion. 0 – 29 Ben McGUINNESS then replaced DODDIE on the wing. After 63 minutes, good hands were shown by both backs and forwards and second row, Richard DANCE forced his way over for a good team try. The conversion by Andy WHITE was successful. 0 – 36 After scoring his first try of the season, Richard DANCE had to leave the field with a thumb injury. DODDIE took to the field to take his place in the second row. After 70 minutes, Heath had an attacking scrum some 10 metres out. Number 8, Emlyn JAMES picked up at the base of the scrum, drove towards the line and when he was tackled, he made an excellent reverse pass which was picked up by the ever-supporting Olly WILBY who scored a try at the side of the posts. The conversion by Zak DEWHIRST was successful. 0 – 43. After 73 minutes, the home side had their first meaningful foray into Heath territory and after the awarding of a penalty some 35 metres out, the home side took a quick tap and the ball was passed to a supporting player who crossed between the corner flag and the posts. The try was converted. 7 – 43 The referee then blew for ‘No side’ Full time: Moortown 7 v 43 Heath This was an excellent overall team performance by Heath with both forwards and backs gelling well together from the very start of the game and carrying out their tasks superbly in difficult conditions. Man of the match awards go to Andy WHITE who marshalled the Heath backs extremely well throughout the game and, in the forwards, debutant Jack BLACKHALL who made an immediate impact with, not only 2 tries, but also in both attack and defence with some good tackling and also good running with ball in hand.