Blackheath hold nerve to top pile

BLACKHEATH grabbed their tenth win of the season but only just, as lowly Bishop’s Stortford made the high-flyers fight and took a valuable losing bonus point.

Both sides showed early ambition but the visitors scored the first points when the referee gave a penalty for Stortford not releasing and Joe Tarrant kicked the three.

Blackheath gained confidence and produced some threatening running and handling from their backs, with Henry Staff capitalising, running a good angle to take a short pass and touch down under the posts.

Stortford battled their way back and forced a number of errors from the opposition, resulting in penalties for Tom Banks after 17, 24, 30 and 35 minutes – Tarrant responding with his own three pointer inbetween.

The defences on both sides held firm until the 69th and 72nd minutes, when Banks took his side into the lead for the first time with another successful penalty shot and Tarrant replied in kind.

Stortford might consider themselves unlucky in that the scrum penalty against them came when the referee stopped play for an injury to Sam Winter and then blew up at the restarted scrum.

Stortford threw themselves onto the attack and threatened, but couldn’t get the crucial score.