A resounding win for Blackheath and, with just two rounds of matches to go, one which guarantees the Club at least a third-place finish in National League One, and a play-off place.
Sale FC had started the day as the only side with any realistic prospect of intruding on the top three in the table, and a win could have brought them within range of overtaking Blackheath and piling on pressure for the remaining fixtures.
However, although the Cheshire side remained in the hunt for 50 minutes, their loss of discipline in the closing stages let the contest slip away.
In a sometimes tetchy game, it was the visitors who gained the early pressure, culminating in a converted try on six minutes for blind-side Huw Davies, as the Sale pack crabbed infield from a lineout.
Blackheath’s response, however, was to demolish the first Sale scrum, turning possession and, with Finn Osborne bursting forward, Noah Sloot and Tom Emery sent Luke Pollock across.
Marking his 50th Club appearance, Jordan Burns produced an outstanding out-of-hand kicking display from scrum-half, gaining ground against the strong wind that nobody else could get close to, and in so doing kept Blackheath on the front-foot.
Raff Hollister put Jake Hennessey on a diagonal run, slicing through the Sale defence, before his long pass found his opposite wing Tom Hughes to cross, and with 26 minutes of the 24th match played, Billy Harding peeled blind off the maul to pinball of a defender and score the Club captain and hooker’s 43rd try of the campaign, beating the 14-year old record of most tries in a National League One season.
Davies responded for the visitors by powering over with his second score, but Hollister’s deft pass off scrum ball in midfield sent centre-partner Pollock stepping his way through the Sale defence from 50-metres for a 20-12 lead at the break.
With the elements now in his favour, Hennessey’s long hoof up field straight from the restart saw Sale fumble ball, and Ed Scragg collected to rumble over and extend the advantage, only for the visitors to go through phases once more, and hooker Nathan Langdon cross and reduce the arrears.
However, Harding recovered lineout ball and found Fin O’Sullivan on his outside for the young second-row’s first Blackheath try, and although the visitors looked to respond quickly, a dangerous clear-out reversed a penalty and resulted in a yellow card for Sale centre Osian Roberts.
Blackheath made use of their extra man with immediate effect, as Emery came up from full-back to collect Pollock’s off-load and sprint home from halfway unopposed and, as the Sale penalty count rose beyond twenty-mark, Sam Morley concluded the contest with a strike at goal for three-points.
Blackheath will aim to keep pressure on the two sides above them when they travel to Leeds Tykes next week, kick off at West Park 3.00 pm, before returning to The Utilita Well Hall for the Club’s final scheduled match of the league campaign against Clifton on 25th April.
Blackheath
Tries: Pollock 9, 37, Hughes 21, Harding 26, Scragg 41, O’Sullivan 54, Emery 63
Conv: Morley 61
Pens: Morley 80
Sale FC
Tries: Davies 6, 32, Langdon 51
Attendance 750
| 15 | . | Tom Emery |
| 14 | . | Tom Hughes |
| 13 | . | Luke Pollock |
| 12 | . | Raff Hollister |
| 11 | . | Jake Hennessey |
| 10 | . | Sam Morley |
| 9 | . | Jordan Burns |
| 1 | . | Archie Holland |
| 2 | . | Billy Harding (Capt) |
| 3 | . | Rory Marsh |
| 4 | . | Archie Smeaton |
| 5 | Ed Scragg | |
| 6 | . | Josh Smart |
| 7 | . | Noah Sloot |
| 8 | . | Finn Osborne |
| 16 | . | Archie Bourne |
| 17 | . | James Cornish |
| 18 | . | Fin O’Sullivan |
| 19 | . | Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas |
| 20 | . | Kyle McGhie |
Photos: Nick King
Graham Cox
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