Blackheath pay price for errors as they slip to narrow defeat at Moseley

A try at the very death for number-eight Tom Baldwin salvaged a losing bonus point for Blackheath as they were edged out 19-17 at Moseley, writes Graham Cox.

The Club will look back at their trip to the West Midlands in the 10th round of fixtures in National League One and sense it might have been more.

After heavy rain, and with a stiff breeze developing, the conditions inevitably created errors. Blackheath made the majority of them and failed to capitalise on the pressure they built.

The visitors had the better of the first period. After an exchange of penalties, a kick to touch after Moseley went off their feet saw Andy Boye driven over from the resultant lineout.

Mark Cooke added a difficult conversion from out wide, only for Mose fly-half Tighe Maxwell-Whitely to respond with his second penalty to cut the deficit, but it was the closing moments of the first period when Blackheath should have eased away.

The unfortunate Cooke saw his 48-metre attempt at goal hit the crossbar and rebound while the best move of the period, as Ed Taylor put Jack Daly through a gap, ended with ball lost forward.

Blackheath had a slender 10-6 advantage at the break.

That lead was wiped out within three minutes of the restart. A second scrum penalty gave the hosts the position to drive hooker Sam McNulty over for an unconverted score while pressure at the other end again went unrewarded, greasy ball frustrating the visitors, along with a missed kick to touch.

Moseley had the confidence of a side on a run of four successive wins and, with a largely dominant scrum, and solid and reliable lineout, began to crank up the gas.

A missed three points from Jack Jolly was rectified moments later by the Mose scrum-half, as Blackheath were penalised a fourth time for a high tackle. Despite some desperate defence, with the West Midlanders camped in Club territory, the rupture came on 75 minutes as back-row Batsirai Zindi crashed over.

In the gloom of a November late afternoon, it put clear daylight between the sides, but there was to be one final twist. The game should have been dead with the ball in touch but a moment of petulance – Leo Fielding unnecessarily shoved against the barrier then followed by two further infringements – gave Blackheath consolation.

Matt Dalrymple’s goal attempt clanged against the upright, but the rebound was caught by Alex Noot, support arriving quickly for Baldwin’s score.

Dalrymple ironically succeeded with a more difficult kick for the conversion.

Blackheath host the Rams at The Utilita on Saturday (3pm).