A drop-goal from Corben Ollivent, as the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark, denied Blackheath what would have been a hard-fought draw, and kept Rotherham pressing in third position in National League One.
With Storm Darragh producing a swirling wind, a greasy ball, and an increasingly cut-up playing surface, the Yorkshiremen worked a position in front of the uprights for the Titans’ fly-half to snatch victory.
On balance, it will go down as a deserved win for the former Championship side, going through something of a resurgence after dropping two levels.
Rotherham had the majority of territory and pressure, and while Blackheath edged a lineout which was often a lottery in the conditions, the Titans’ scrum enjoyed huge dominance, winning a number of penalties.
That said, errors in the opposition twenty-two hampered the hosts early on, and it was the visitors who struck first. As Jake Hennessey sent ball high into the gloom from full-back on 13 minutes, Leo Fielding sprinted forward to make a brilliant take, Matt Armstrong made a few more metres, before the ball moved its way back to Fielding, the outside-centre’s long pass finding Jake Lloyd to cross in the corner for a 5-0 lead.
It was inevitable, however, that Rotherham’s pressure would eventually count. As the hosts pressed following a five-metre scrum, ball passed its way to left-wing Aidan Shorthall to level the score at the break, and as the Yorkshiremen picked and drove again after the re-start, scrum-half JB Bruzulier spotted a gap to flop over the goal-line for a second try, Lloyd Hayes’ conversion putting them 12-5 ahead.
Nevertheless, as they’d done in the first period, Blackheath made the most of limited chances, and with Oskar Hirshkyj-Douglas arriving off the bench to shrug away tacklers, and Jordan Burns making further ground, Markus Burcham twisted and off-loaded to Lloyd for the wing’s second try, Tom Ffitch’s outstanding touchline conversion levelling the scores once again.
It looked as if Blackheath’s resolute defence would cling on for the draw, but as an adjudged knock-on handed Rotherham a last-ditch scrum, the hosts had the perfect platform to set up Ollivent to do the rest.
Blackheath return to The Utilita Well Hall next week for two home fixtures before the Christmas break.
On Saturday they face Leicester Lions, before Bishop’s Stortford are the visitors on 21st December. Both matches kick-off at 3.00 pm.
Rotherham Titans
Tries: Shorthall 30, Bruzulier 45
Conv: Hayes 45
DG: Ollivent 80
Blackheath
Tries: Lloyd 13, 63
Conv: Ffitch 63
Attendance: 250
| 15 | . | Jake Hennessey |
| 14 | . | Jake Lloyd |
| 13 | . | Leo Fielding |
| 12 | . | Markus Burcham |
| 11 | . | Matt Armstrong |
| 10 | . | Oli Burgess |
| 9 | . | Jordan Burns |
| 1 | . | Archie Holland |
| 2 | . | Billy Harding |
| 3 | . | Andrew Boye |
| 4 | . | Fin O’Sullivan |
| 5 | . | Mike Etete |
| 6 | . | Josh Smart |
| 7 | . | Noah Sloot |
| 8 | . | Tom Baldwin (Capt) |
| 16 | . | Alex Witchell |
| 17 | . | Rory Marsh |
| 18 | . | Tex Cavubati |
| 19 | . | Tom Ffitch |
| 20 | . | Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas |
Graham Cox
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