Blaydon 28 Blackheath 11.

Even a struggling Blaydon side is a daunting prospect on their own patch of earth. On a damp, grey winter’s afternoon, Crow Trees can be a forbidding arena, with its wonderful old rugby grandstand rising into the murkiness next to the pitch over yonder from the more modern clubhouse, and a surface that by the end of January is suited to a useful and experienced pack.

Perhaps it was an air of complacency that comes from a glance at the National League One table showing Blaydon in 15th place, allied to an early score, courtesy of Leo Fielding regathering his own chip forward on halfway before popping up again to make the final off-load to Tom Baldwin on six minutes for the visitors’ only try, but this was a decidedly woeful Blackheath display that clearly angered Colin Ridgway.

‘Lacklustre and inept,’ said the Club’s director of rugby. ‘Rugby is a basic game of physicality in which you need to win the collision and breakdown areas to be competitive, and too many individual mistakes contributed to a poor performance.’ ‘Full credit to Blaydon, they wanted it more and deserved the win. But we were soft.’ Indeed, Blaydon played with a spring in their step possibly attributed to the news that only two, not three, clubs will be relegated this season it was Crows’ full-back James Cooney who was soon slicing through a somewhat marshmallow Club midfield before the penalty came and Matthew Thompson drove across to give the county Durham side parity on ten minutes.

A scrum infringement gave Fielding the opportunity to nudge Blackheath ahead once more on the half-hour, but despite Gregor Gillanders nabbing one attacking line-out, a penalty gave the hosts another chance, and although Jake Lloyd got across to make the tackle on Nathan Horsefall, the Crows’ scrum-half found Thompson in support for the hooker’s second try and a 10-8 lead at the break. An exchange of penalties at the start of the second period maintained the two-point gap, but despite only a narrow advantage the hosts’ confidence steadily rose, and their superior pitch management kept Blackheath pinned in their own territory and starved them of possession.

On 58 minutes, a kick landed in touch on the full, allowing Blaydon to drive second-row Chris Wearmouth over from around 25-metres out, and as the pressure was maintained, Blackheath ran out of defenders as the north-easterners went through the phases for open-side Jack Davidson to cross, the conversion putting them 14-points ahead.

Connon added a penalty, just to make sure, and although Blackheath briefly rallied in the closing moments, their lack of control foiled any chance of consolation and summed up a disappointing afternoon for the visitors.

Blackheath will look for improvement when they host Ampthill next Saturday. Kick-off at Well Hall is at 3.00 pm.

Blaydon.

Tries: Thompson 2, Wearmouth, Davidson.

Conv: Connon.

Pens: Connon 2.

Blackheath.

Tries: Baldwin.

Pens: Fielding 2.