Blackheath require five points to clinch National League Two East promotion
BY GRAHAM COX
Blackheath need just five more points to seal promotion from National League Two East after a 21-12 win at Bury St Edmunds.
Two early tries gave the Club a grip on this match but they were never able to ease off against a determined and spirited home side.
The Suffolk club, who are fourth in the table after a run of six victories, dominated large parts of this contest only to come up against an organised and well-drilled defence.
Eventually they found their way around the barricades for two scores of their own, but only after Tom Ffitch, a late replacement at fly-half for the unwell Oli Burgess, had stretched Blackheath further away with three penalties.
“In the first half we were really clinical,” said Blackheath head coach James Shanahan. “We took our chances, and probably should have had a couple more scores.
“Bury came out firing, as they had done in our previous match, but our defence was outstanding – a real masterclass. Our physicality, our time in the tackle, our ability to get back on to our feet and into the defensive line, were all exceptional.
“Our discipline cracked a bit towards the end, something we need to work on, but they launched quite an onslaught. Against anyone else Bury would probably have scored 30 or 40 points.”
It was just two minutes into the game when Oli Walliker popped up in the fly-half position to send Andy Denham on a run from the halfway line to beneath the uprights.
Soon after, Markus Burcham’s neat kick forced Bury into conceding a five-metre lineout from which the inside-centre produced a fine offload for Jake Hennessey to crash across.
Ffitch narrowly missed the conversion but two of his penalty strikes gave Blackheath an 18-0 lead at the break.
Perhaps Bury should have converted a couple of the penalties their pressure brought but they opted for set-piece, or tap and go, to little effect until wing Ciaran Leeson found an opening down the left touchline.
The third Ffitch penalty increased Blackheath’s cushion. Full-back Charlie Reed’s collection of a crossfield kick for a second Bury try came too late to affect the outcome.
Blackheath head to Westcliff on Saturday.
PICTURE: DEBORAH LLOYD