Club hold on despite Stour resurgence (From News Shopper)

Club hold on despite Stour resurgence

9:23pm Sunday 22nd January 2012 in Rugby By Graham Cox

Blackheath 41 v Stourbridge 27.

A terrific second half fight-back from Stourbridge but too little to overturn the commanding advantage Blackheath had built by the interval.

The Club crossed for five tries in a clinical opening period and, but for the gusty wind hampering kicks at goal, might have amassed more than the 21-point lead they achieved.

From the moment Simon Legg led his side on to the field in honour of the loose-head’s 200th Blackheath appearance, the game proceeded smoothly for the hosts.

First flanker Richard Pike drove across off the blind-side of a ruck on six minutes, and then Mike Canty hit a beautifully timed mis-pass from Richard Windsor at enough pace to scythe through the defence for the second.

Number-eight James Catt showed good speed to go over in the right corner, before the Club pack won a penalty try to wrap up the bonus point on the half-hour, and then with the visitors down to 14-men, space was created for Canty to cross for a 27-6 lead, two Liam Holden penalties Stourbridge’s only riposte.

But after the break the pattern of the game changed, and with former Club skipper and hooker Liam Wordley leading the charge, Stour battled back to within striking range. Pressure in the hosts’ twenty-two produced space for Nathan Bressington to score and when James Hearn added a second conversion after Tom Richardson had snapped up loose ball and chipped and chased successfully, the West Midlands side had narrowed the deficit to just seven points.

Blackheath breathed a sigh of relief on 72 minutes as Sam Windsor crossed next to the uprights following a close-range line-out to stretch out the lead once more, and although the visitors drove replacement hooker Jordan Page across for their third try, Windsor’s second, as the fly-half weaved through a tiring Stour defence, settled the contest.

Next Saturday Blackheath travel to Lancashire to take on Sedgley Park. Kick-off at Park Lane in Whitefield is 2.30 pm and supporters unable to travel to the north-west can get live updates on BBC Radio Kent (96.7FM, 104.2FM, DAB).

Blackheath Tries: Pike, Canty 2, Catt, Penalty try, Windsor (Sam) 2 Conv: Windsor (Sam) 3.

Stourbridge Tries: Bressington, Richardson, Page Conv: Hearn 3 Pens: Holder 2.