BLACKHEATH 32-24 ROSSLYN PARK

Saturday 21 September

By RHYS STRATTON

Blackheath got on the scoreboard early through the boot of Tom Ffitch after a penalty was awarded in midfield, but it was Park who had the most of the early pressure and chances. First, the hosts saw off the danger from a Matt Gordon 50-22 and then just about survived a chance for Charlie Walker, following a brilliant break by Theo Manihera, that saw the winger chip in behind the defence and come inches away from dotting down his own kick before the ball ran dead. However, despite this early ascendency, it was Blackheath who ran in the next score when Oli Burgess crashed over as the hosts played with a penalty advantage in a dangerous position. They then extended this lead further through Tevita Cavubati as the big second row powered his way over a couple of phases after a scrum in the final third.

The 1st XV finally crossed over with a well-deserved try before half time when Gordon caught Blackheath sleeping at the fringes of the breakdown. After the hosts had stopped an initial Park attack from the base of the scrum on the 22, Gordon spotted a gap in the defence, picked-and-went and dotted down to open Park’s account.

In the second half, Steffan James kicked a penalty to narrow the lead even further, but Noah Sloot steered a maul over the line for Blackheath soon after following a succession of penalties that went in favour of the hosts. The 1st XV responded in fine fashion as Charlie Walker ran in the try of the day just a few minutes later as, left with a lot to do out wide, the elusive winger fended off one defender and then stepped inside three others to finish in style. Park then took the lead through Charlie Mulchrone as the scrum-half got on the end of a Rhys Charalambous offload after a monstrous carry by the tighthead that saw him work his way down to just short of the tryline. Unfortunately, this was to be the last Park score of the contest as, in the final quarter, Blackheath re-took the lead through Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas and then, despite losing Michael Hoyt to the sin-bin for dissent, sealed the result with another Ffitch penalty in the final minute.

ROSSLYN PARK

Tries: Gordon (35’), Walker (51’), Mulchrone (61’)
Conversions; James (36’, 52’, 62’)
Penalties; James (41’)
Yellow Cards: N/A

Team: Cade, Miller, Charalambous, Gillanders, Stevenson, Digby, Hosking, Wrafter, Fenley, James, Addams, Gordon, Manihera, Walker, Smith

Replacements: Wade, Woodward, Martin, Mulchrone, Marfo

BLACKHEATH

Tries; Burgess (20’), Cavubati (24’), Sloot (47’), Hirskyj-Douglas (68’)
Conversions; Ffitch (21’, 48’, 69’)
Penalties; Ffitch (2’, 79’)
Yellow Cards; Hoyt (54’)

Richmond: Holland, Harding, Boye, Everard, Cavubati, Schroter, Sloot, Baldwin, Burns, Ffitch, Armstrong, Burgess, Hirskyj-Douglas, Lloyd, Hennessey

Replacements: Witchell, Cornish, Hoyt, Daly, Slowik

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Birmingham Moseley 28 – 14 Bishop’s Stortford
Plymouth Albion 27 – 22 Leicester Lions
Rams 33 – 0 Sale FC
Richmond 48 – 7 Darlington Mowden Park
Rotherham Titans 48 – 19 Esher
Sedgley Park 11 – 20 Dings Crusaders

In Round 3, newly promoted Dings Crusaders found themselves as the only away side to pick up a win on Saturday as they turned over Sedgley Park up in Manchester. Elsewhere, Birmingham Moseley and Plymouth emerged victorious against Bishop’s Stortford and Leicester whilst Rams, Richmond and Rotherham all continued their unbeaten starts with dominant wins.

Up Next for Park is a trip up north to take on Darlington Mowden Park.