Blackheath claim maximum points in first away outing of the 2024-25 National League One campaign
BY GRAHAM COX
Bishop’s Stortford 10 Blackheath 39
A much-improved performance saw Blackheath claim maximum points from this, their first away outing of the 2024-25 National League One campaign.
On a fine and sunny early autumnal afternoon at Silver Leys, the Club scored six tries, five of them prior to the interval, to effectively have the game wrapped up by the half-way mark.
That said, it did not start so well and the initial stages reflected the disappointing effort against Richmond the week previous.
Despite the visitors having most of the early possession, it was Stortford who gained the opening score, with their first assault seeing wing Josh Stannard shrugging off tackles and sending the ball inside to centre Jack Biard to cross with worrying ease.
However, a moment of brilliance from Matt Armstrong changed the momentum of the game, and in so doing, kickstarted Blackheath’s season.
As Stortford looked for distance on a penalty to touch, the tall wing took possession infield before striding through the hosts’ bewildered defence on a 50-metre break and hoofing the ball towards the corner for Jordan Burns to gather and score.
A penalty from Stort fly-half Mike Cook for a high tackle kept the Hertfordshire side 10-5 in front, but the second quarter saw Blackheath overturn that advantage and take an unassailable lead.
On 25 minutes, Burns spotted a gap to break into the Stort twenty-two, and with Jake Lloyd and Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas up in quick support, Tom Ffitch crossed, the fly-half converting his own score.
With Tevita Cavubati and Tom Baldwin making carries, Burns and Lloyd combined again in midfield to send Noah Sloot under the uprights, and with Blackheath continuing to go through the phases and stretching the opposition defence, Billy Harding found Armstrong off his wing to send Sloot across out wide for his second try.
The game moved past the 40-minute mark, but a penalty for side entry, gave the visitors an attacking lineout, and as Cavubati and Will Davis pressed towards the goal-line, Ffitch threw a huge pass out wide to a grateful Lloyd to score in the right corner, Ffitch converting from the touch-line for a 31-10 lead at the break.
The Club fly-half added three further points soon after the restart as indiscipline got to the hosts, but most of the second period was something of a stalemate with Stortford gaining territory but frequently giving up possession and never looking likely to threaten.
For Blackheath though there was one final moment to celebrate, as Paul Schroter took Harding’s lineout ball, Josh Smart went into contact, and the refreshed half-back partnership of Jack Daly and Ffitch sent Jake Hennessey over to seal a fine win.
PICTURE: Deborah Lloyd