Heathfield and Hastings & Bexhill take pride despite losses

Heathfield 15 Cranbrook 21

Cranbrook just edged past Heathfield in this Counties 1 Kent league match after a low key first half was followed by an incident packed second period.

Cranbrook had first use of the slope and initially had some possession in the home 22 but gradually Heathfield worked their way back upfield and most of the game was in the middle of the pitch.

There was sterling work by skipper Gus Taylor at the base and this was tight head prop Tommy Buck’s first game at this level so it took a little while for him to builda relationship with the rest of the pack.

At the end of the first quarter Cranbrook had a penalty chance but it drifted wide. A few minutes later Heathfield did the same.

Scrum ball was worked wide right and at first it looked as though Max Redman had squeezed in at the corner under the balcony. However the visitors’ touch judge eventually raised his flag and the try was denied.

Just after the half hour Heathfield took the lead with a Toby Simpson penalty - fair reward for sustained pressure. However the best was yet to come with one of the best tries Heathfield have scored.

Good lineout ball was driven on and Dylan Eames burst out of the maul, breaking a couple of tackles, before being stopped near the visitors’ 5m line. However quick ruck ball was worked wide right and Redman had a simple finish.

In the last minutes of the half Heathfield had another chance after a Cranbrook attack was turned over and run back initially by Ben Irwin but white line fever struck and the chance was ruined.

Cranbrook are unbeaten this season so it was no surprise they started the second half strongly. A couple of penalties allowed them to establish a good attacking position and a lineout catch and drive looked threatening but was just contained by the home defence.

The penalties were piling up against the home side and Sam Crichton was binned for some malpractice at the breakdown. More penalties produced another home yellow, for Eames. Cranbrook finally opened their score moving the ball right for a simple overlap.

Crichton and then Eames rejoined the contest but Cranbrook still had momentum and scored two quick tries which effectively decided the game. Fabian Rimmer burst through a couple of tackles to dive under the posts, then a Simpson attempted clearance kick was charged down and retrieved for a soft score, making it 8-21.

Heathfield were playing with urgency and Sean Crozier worked his way over from broken play and the Simpson conversion at least gave Heathfield a losing bonus point.

They could not find a final try but this was a game Heathfield could have won – but Cranbrook took their chances better on the day.

Heathfield Rangers had a convincing 5-79 away win against Crawley II. A strong second team is essential.

Tomorrow Heathfield entertain Folkestone (3pm).

Park House RFC 20 Hastings & Bexhill RFC 13

This was another great performance from Hastings & Bexhill against tough opposition.

Park House have always fielded a team of big strong payers who on many occasions have swept the opposition aside but H&B played a hard defensive game and more than matched them.

Hastings welcomed back Adam Baker at No8 and Matt Garvin on to the bench alongside flying winger Tim Sills.

It was not until the last minute of the first half that Park House managed to break through the Hastings defence to open the scoring. H&B had been resolute and prevented a try by holding the ball up, but had drifted into an offside position.

From the ensuing penalty, a move wide across the pitch put the right winger in for an unconverted try.

Coach Steve McManus had to come on in the 15th minute for prop Jacob McDonagh who had an ankle injury. Sills replaced Sam Surridge and Garvin came on for hard-working Mike Woodrow.

Sills was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on, the penalty was slotted and Park House were eight points ahead.

Hastings hit back with a penalty from skipper Bruce Steadman that scraped over the bar off of the post. Full-back Harry Walker was winded in a tackle, leaving a gap in the defence which was capitalised upon with a try and conversion making the score 15-3. Steadman reduced the deficit with a penalty.

Prop Josh Clarke had to go off injured; restricting the game to uncontested scrums, and McManus had to be sacrificed, leaving H&B with 14 players.

Park House scored another try giving them a 14-point lead. H&B hit back with several strong attacking moves and won a penalty which set up a 5m lineout.

The ball was whipped out to Sills who surged through the home defence to touch down. Steadman converted. That gave H&B a very well deserved losing bonus point. Full-back Walker, fly-half James Gardner, No8 Baker and Chris Pillow all shone.

Tomorrow H&B host Maidstone at Ark Alexandra Academy (William Parker site, 3pm).

Seaford 2nd XV 0 St Leonards CP 46

Off the back of a tight win against Lewes, Ports travelled with a small but experienced side to face a hard-running and direct Seaford team.

Ports struggled to find a foothold early on but one feature of the match became clear as Adam Bigg, James Daniels and Rob Tritton all shut down any Seaford moves.

The boot of Mike Hutchins relieved the pressure and from a penalty lineout the direct running Matt Standen crashed over the line with defenders hanging off him.

Standen’s hard running was another feature with Seaford struggling to contain him.

From a turnover at a ruck Ross Kearney and Murray Warman combined with Warman shrugging off tacklers to make 60m. Hutchins converted.

Injury left Seaford short-handed and Kearney, Hutchins and Warman took advantage to put Warman over for a first half hat-trick. Hutchins converted both and the full-back also slotted a penalty.

In the second half Ports loaned Gavin Thomas to Seaford to even up numbers. And Seaford maintained possession far more effectively.

Daniels tackled everything though, and Bigg disrupted all possession for Seaford at ruck and in the air. Kearney found more space and his mazy run gave space for Luke Barningham to dive over in the corner.

Hutchins again found the extras.

Before he kicked another penalty. Ports used structured pods and quick ball to again find Warman in space and he ran in his fourth of the game. Hutchins again converting.

Henry Hill thought he had scored at the death but was pulled back for a foot in touch. Despite this Ports had clinched a substantial victory.

Coach Paul Smart said: “This was a truly first class performance, we played well in every area and gave Seaford no ground at all.”

All 15 performed well with Daniels destructive tackling, Standen’s ability to make yards continually and the arch disrupter Bigg all taking the plaudits.

Bigg won his second successive E-Heat MoM award.