DMPRFC squandered a great opportunity to beat Blackheath RFC and add them to the New Year’s Honours List, along with previous leaders Old Elthamians RFC and show the National League One pretenders for the title, that Mowden are still capable of better things.

However, a needless second half red card for replacement prop Ignas DARKINTIS certainly hampered proceedings, but to be fair, even though the last few minutes created a ‘squeaky bum’ experience for the visitors, Blackheath’s own second half comeback maybe just deserved the spoils on the day.

DMPRFC need to produce an 80-minute plus performance, like the one shown against Old Elthamians RFC, ‘week in week out’, to progress from this league and not lose focus after the interval, which cost them dear yesterday.

In front of a decent expectant crowd, Mowden produced a decent first half performance, deservedly leading the now ‘top of the league’ team at oranges. (17 – 3)

Blackheath RFC suffered their own problems ‘early doors’ when centre Henry STAFF failed to recover from a leg injury and replacement Alex PICKERSGILL made an earlier than expected entrance.

This was followed by some good fortune when the visitors ‘broke the ice’, when the home side infringed at a ruck and from a very kickable distance, Blackheath RFC full back Joe TARRANT made no mistake for the opening points. (0 – 3)

TARRANT’s kicking counterpart Warren SEALS saw an early effort at the same drift wide, before DMPRFC gradually took over and registered the first try of the game, which fell to winger Shaun McCARTNEY, after taking a good line behind an attacking home scrum, with scrum half Matt DUDMAN clearing the way for the big winger, (5 – 3), with SEALS this time assuredly slotting the afters. (7 – 3)

The second DMPRFC try came courtesy of a SEALS break into the visitors territory and with defenders standing off expecting the offload, SEALS travelled deeper and further over into the 22-metre area and towards the 5-metre line, where he deftly did offload to supporting Canadian International flanker Matt HEATON to score, (12 – 3), SEALS again converting. (14 – 3)

With DMPRFC now enjoying a ‘purple patch’, they again attacked the visitors line, but a mixture of excellent defence and failure to control the ball, the home side wasted the opportunity to pull further ahead, which proved costly later in the game.

So at oranges, a healthy lead was evident and everything looked good for a repeat performance of the previous week.

Blackheath however, had other ideas and on resumption of play, took the initiative in the second half and after only two minutes, registered the first of their eventual 4-try tally, when winger Eliott CLEMENTS-HILL danced over unopposed, (14 – 8), with TARRANT adding the conversion. (14 – 10)

In a repeat of last week’s performance, Mowden dominated the first half of this game, scoring two tries and two conversions, to visiting Blackheath’s single penalty for a deserved lead of 14 – 3 at the interval. However, in a very disappointing second half, the home side let Blackheath off the hook, with some sloppy handling and a needless red card.

Some second half scrum dominance from Blackheath led to a penalty try, as the home side were adjudged to have infringed as the visitors scrum approached the home line, (14 – 15), with an automatic conversion awarded. (14 – 17)

Mowden’s SEALS replied with a penalty to level the scores, (17 – 17) but there then followed a blow to the home side, when replacement prop Ignis DARKINTIS was straight red carded for retaliation to being held down by an opposition lock, the retaliation being deemed to excessive for the referee’s assistant. As lock and also front row replacement VAIOLETI had been previously replaced, he returned to the field, however the Mowden scrum was never the same, even when bolstered by replacements UZOKWE, FISHER and BRADY.

As is usually the case when reduced in numbers, Blackheath, to their credit, took immediate advantage and Mowden went further behind after only three further minutes, when centre Markus BIRCHAM steamed in for the score. (17 – 22)

Mowden were forced to push the pace and in doing so, over extended with a forward throwing out a speculative pass, which was intercepted by visiting winger Jake LLOYD who raced in un-opposed under the posts. (17 – 27) TARRANT making no mistake with the easy conversion. (17 – 29)

Blackheath, to their detriment, then settled for that score and stopped playing, as DMPRFC saw an opportunity to profit from the visitors lapse and as the game entered the final 10-minutes, clever play between home winger Brandon ASHER-WOOD and full back Chris McTURK combined to put the latter in for a well worked try (22 – 29), converted well by SEALS. (24 – 29)

Mowden frantically picked up the pace as the clock counted down, fighting back and manufacturing a series of forward pick and drives to within the visitor’s 5-metre line. As Blackheath conceded penalty after penalty in the onslaught, the home side were adjudged to have held on in the tackle and conceded the penalty. From the resulting kick to touch, the lineout followed and it was a formality for Blackheath to kick the ball into touch to seal a win that took them to the top of the table, as Rosslyn Park lost.

Next Week: ROSSLYN PARK RFC (A)

SQUADS

DMPRFC
15. Chris McTURK, 14. Brandon ASHER-WOOD, 13. Warren SEALS, 12. Callum MACKENZIE, 11. Shaun McCARTNEY (Talite VAIOLETI, 60), 10. Garry LAW, 9. Matthew DUDMAN, 1. Alfie BARRON, 2. Jordan POOLE, Ralph APPLEBY (Igniis DARKINTIS, 17) , 4. Joe CRAGGS (Jake BRADY, 70), 5. Talite VAIOLETI (Dave FISHER, 51), 6. George STOKES (Simon UZOKWE,51), 7. Matthew HEATON, 8. Rory DUFF

Replacements: Callum SMITH (Not used)

Scoring:
Try: McCARTNEY (21), HEATON (33), SEALS (34)
Conversion: SEALS (21, 34, 71)
Penalty: SEALS (54)
Drop Goal: None

Yellow card: None
Red card: Ignis DARKINTIS (Foul Play)

BLACKHEATH RFC
15. Joseph TARRANT, 14. Jake LLOYD, 13. Henry STAFF (Alex PICKERSGILL, 7), 12. Markus BIRCHAM, 11. Elliot CLEMENTS-HILL, 10. Mark COOKE, 9. Jack DALY (Stef LIEBENBERG, 40), 1. Thomas WILLIAMS (Mtt BEESLEY, 60), 2. Harry FRY (Michael PERKS, 43), 3. George DAVIS (Tom WILLIAMS, 69), 4. Neale PATRICK (Harry FRY, 63), 5. Joshua PETERS (James CATT, 40), 6. Thomas STRADWICK, 7. Frederick OWEN, 8. Anders NILSSON.

Replacements: All used.

Scoring:
Try: CLEMENTS-HILL (42), BURCHAM (59), LLOYD (67)
Penalty Try: (50)
Conversion: TARRANT (9, 43, 68)
Penalty: TARRANT (9)
Drop Goal: None

Yellow card: None

Referee: Mr Joe James
Attendance: 884
Player of the Match: Jordan POOLE (Darlington Mowden Park RFC)