What a difference a week can make. After last Saturday's hapless performance against Southend, Harvey Biljon made five changes to the starting XV for the potentially tricky visit to Dockham Road in the Forest of Dean, including a first start for Will Matthews at number-eight and debuts for Charlie Gower and Chris Bishay in the three-quarter line. Right from the kick-off Blackheath were more organised, offered greater penetration and their kicking out of hand was on a different planet to that of a week earlier at Rectory Field. Indeed, had it not been for countless knock-ons the visitors could have created carnage and been out of sight by the half-time interval.
It took just eight minutes for Blackheath to establish the lead. Bishay, playing on the right-wing, made a break towards the corner flag following scrum ball in Club territory, and his cross-field grubber kick sat up nicely for Matt Vaughan to gather in-goal for the first try. Cinderford skipper and fly-half Paul Knight responded with a well struck 45 metre penalty but with the Club pack in the ascendancy, forcing a number of turnovers and dominating the set-piece, the only likely threat from the hosts was a breakaway.
But the unforced errors in open play were mounting, frustrating Blackheath's attempts to increase their lead, so when the next score finally came it couldn't have been better timed. As Cinderford sensed they would get to the break just two points in arrears, having perhaps weathered the storm, they conceded a scrum under their posts in added time. As the front-row of Simon Legg, Liam Wordley and Des Brett drove their opposite numbers backwards, Matthews controlled the ball at the base before off-loading to James Honeyben to score and give the visitors a 12-3 lead.
With Knight off to the sin-bin in the 53rd minute for coming up off-side at a ruck under the uprights, Honeyben sent a quick tap to the left corner which Jonnie Williams couldn't gather cleanly but at the ensuing scrum Blackheath once again turned over ball. Play moved inside for Mike Staten to weave over the goal-line and six minutes later came try of the match. Alex Page (on as replacement and playing on the wing where he scored 20 tries for Bedford last term) collected a high ball on half-way and set off a lightning fast move with the outstanding Dave Allen on a storming run before releasing Williams to round off the move.
At 26-3, and with Blackheath's confidence surging, the game looked finished but now, in the last 15 minutes, Cinderford launched a revival that perked up the home crowd standing on the grass banking in the glorious autumn sunshine and created some tension in the final moments. Tim Stevenson had earlier caused havoc with a break down the right flank, about the only time the hosts had got into the Club twenty-two, but now the stocky inside-centre made a diagonal run which sent winger Danny Trigg over for a converted try. A few moments later Trigg was again involved as a breakaway down the left saw Jake Carter in for a try, and had Cinderford made more from a penalty when Bishay was guilty of obstruction, the Gloucestershire side could have been back within a score.
But it was too little too late and Biljon and his coaching team will be left to reflect on some encouraging debuts, a fine return to fly-half for Matt Vaughan and an immense performance from the Club pack.
Scorers:
Cinderford Tries: Trigg
Carter
Conv: Knight
Pens: Knight
Blackheath Tries: Vaughan
Honeyben
Staten
Williams
Cons: Vaughan 3