Moseley 19 Blackheath 17

A try at the very death for number-eight Tom Baldwin salvaged a losing bonus point for Blackheath, but the Club will look back at their trip to the West Midlands in the tenth 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 would inevitably create errors, but Blackheath made the majority of them and, despite good phases of play, 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, cutting 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, and the best move of the period, as Ed Taylor put Jack Daly through a gap, ended with ball lost forward, leaving Blackheath with a slender 10-6 advantage at the break.

That lead was wiped out within three minutes of the re-start. 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, on the other hand, 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, and despite some desperate defence, with the West Midlanders camped in Club territory, the rupture came on 75 minutes as back-row Batsirai Zindi cashed 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, as Leo Fielding was unnecessarily shoved against the barrier, 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 succeeding with a more difficult kick for the conversion.

Next Saturday Blackheath return to The Utilita, for the visit of Rams. Kick off is at 3.00 pm.

Moseley

Tries: McNulty 43, Zindi 75
Pens: Maxwell-Whitely 16, 27, Jolly 70

Blackheath

Tries: Boye 20, Baldwin 80
Conv: Cooke 20, Dalrymple 80
Pens: Cooke 12

Attendance: 612

Blackheath Team

15 . Jake Hennessey
14 . Alex Noot
13 . Shae Tucker
12 . Sam Hill
11 . Leo Fielding
10 . Mark Cooke
9 . Jack Daly

1 . Archie Holland
2 . Ollie Walliker
3 . Andrew Boye
4 . Paul Schroter
5 . Ed Taylor (Capt)
6 . Stevie Clark-Leonard
7 . Ronan Foley
8 . Tom Baldwin

16 . Will Davis
17 . Jack Owlett
18 . Fin O’Sullivan
19 . Jordan Burns
20 . Matt Dalrymple

Graham Cox

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