A big-hitting heavyweight battle between two impressive packs was always the likely pattern of this tight and exciting match. And in that department Blackheath can take huge credit as once again the front-row of Simon Legg, Liam Wordley and Des Brett, who've been in irresistible form this season, held the edge against their opposite numbers, particularly at the set scrummage. But in a game that also contained some exceptional passages of open play, it was the fitness and bulk of the full-timers from the West Midlands, and especially their vastly experienced back-row of skipper Rob Connolly, player-coach Russell Earnshaw and veteran number-eight Jim Jenner, who gained the upper hand. They made the inroads, allowing the backs to hit the ball at, sometimes, searing pace and score four tries to take the full quota of league points away from Rectory Field and continue their promotion challenge.
But until just before the interval it was the hosts who held the ascendancy with Will Matthews, passed fit to resume at number-eight against his former club, leading the charge. Birmingham & Solihull fly-half Mark Woodrow, celebrating his call-up to the England Sevens training squad, cancelled out Matt Leek's early penalty but on nine minutes, Ally Vanner took great ball from a line-out mid-way inside the Bees' half. Tom Lindsay, playing in sadly what looks like being his last match in Club colours, burst through the midfield and Leek off-loaded to Dave Allen to drive his way over. A huge response from the visitors resulted in another Woodrow penalty, but Blackheath's ball retention as they went through the phases showed a vast improvement on recent performances and an attack in the 25th minute earned Bees' full-back Reece Spee a yellow card and Leek another goal. Then, Henry Barratt, making his home debut, made a break from the half-way line and although the outside-centre stumbled ten metres from the try-line he managed to regain his feet to allow James Honeyben and Chris Bishay to arrive in support and for Alex Page to score.
A 20-6 lead at the break would have been a decent cushion, but Spee appeared back on the field just in time to collect a pass and race over from short range on the stroke of half-time and begin a revival that would result in 22 unanswered points for the visitors and turn the match. Another Woodrow penalty on 42 minutes and then a little inside pass from Spee caught out the Club defence and allowed right-wing, and National League Two's top try scorer, Simon Hunt across for the tenth time this season to put the Bees in front. An attack down the right saw ball spread across field for Connolly to go over in the left corner on the hour-mark, and although Leek's third penalty closed the gap to just five points going into the final ten minutes, Spee's second try on 75 minutes, from a move which started from deep, settled the result.
At least Blackheath gained the consolation of a losing bonus point, courtesy of Honeyben's fifth try of the season as, with a full quota of replacements on the field, they launched the kitchen sink in the final moments. The best opposition are drawing the best out of the Club at present but this result means three defeats from four home matches and with next week's opposition Mounts Bay gaining their first victory of the term at highly fancied Launceston, they'll need to be at least as good over 300 miles away in West Cornwall.
Scorers:
Blackheath Tries: Allen
Page
Honeyben
Conv: Leek 2
Pens: Leek 3
Birmingham & Solihull Tries: Spee 2
Hunt
Connolly
Conv: Woodrow 3
Pens: Woodrow 3
Graham Cox