However, the game will be remembered for a sickening injury to ace try scorer Morgan PASSMAN, who was stretchered from the field after a first minute high tackle from Blackheath's veteran scrum half Stefan LIEBENBERG, who was quite correctly red carded. PASSMAN was felled illegally when it appeared that he was on his way to scoring a customary try, after a searing break took him passed the visiting defenders, leaving only LIEBENBERG between him and the try line. Then came the high tackle which stopped the winger in his tracks.

The game was held up whilst PASSMAN was attended to and then stretchered off to appreciative and sympathetic applause from the Mowden faithful and the Blackheath players and entourage in attendance. Hopefully, PASSMAN, who had only recently recovered from injury, will again manage to recover and get back to his best, which is his spectacular try scoring prowess.

It somehow had been lost in the moment that home centre Ollie WALKER had carried on the play immediately after PASSMAN had been illegally stopped, scoring a perfectly good try (5 - 0). This was allowed to stand and a full ten minutes later, fly half Warren SEALS added the conversion. (7 - 0)

Although Blackheath were now hampered by the reduction in on the field numbers, it was the home side who took some time to recover from the shock of what had happened.

Therefore it was no surprise that Blackheath soon levelled the scores, with centre Alex PICKERSGILL waltzing through a uncharacteristically soft defence for a try (7 - 5), converted by full back Ben RANSOM. (7 - 7)

In fact, such was the effect on the home side, that it wasn't long before Blackheath had taken the lead, again with ease, as wing Craig DOWSETT split the defenders to score under the posts, (7 - 12) this time fly half Mark COOKE adding the extras. (7 - 14)

As the game enter the final 10 minutes of the first half, Mowden began to make the extra man count, regaining the impetus in the game and piling on the pressure, full back Callum IRVINE registering with his second try in as many weeks (12 - 14) and with SEALS adding the conversion the home side began to dominate proceedings.

Blackheath were reduced to constant infringements and it was only a matter of course after being given a general warning by the official, that the next player would exit the field and accordingly, on committing the next infringement flanker Tom BALDWIN was sin-binned when offside and kicking the ball away at a ruck. SEALS added the resulting penalty (17 - 14) as Mowden pushed for another score before the break.

Despite the pressure, Blackheath held out to the break, but were going to be down to a 13-man playing staff for just less than 10 minutes of the second half, against an increasingly dominant home outfit.

Surprisingly, it was Blackheath who started the brighter after oranges, taking the game to the home side, with a series of up the middle attacks, trying to suck in home players in order to break on the outside. This proved successful, as COOKE was able to add the first points of the second half in the form of a penalty kick, as Mowden infringed under pressure. (17 - 17)

This proved to be the catalyst for a Mowden to take a stranglehold on the game, with another try by WALKER who by now had reverted to the wing berth, (22 - 17) assuredly converted by the excellent SEALS. (24 - 17), who quickly added another penalty (27 - 17) to ease the home side further in front and towards an important win.

Although always anticipated, the fourth and bonus point try took some time to materialise, as again Blackheath refused to accept the defeat, trying to mount a rear guard action through midfield forays. Mowden themselves had several try scoring opportunities, but a mixture of poor handling and tenacious defence thwarted their progress.

With time running out, home centre Ben DIXON capped a fine game with a try (32 - 17), sending the home crowd into rapture. SEALS added the conversion (34 - 17) for a well deserved win on a difficult day, leap-frogging the visitors in the league standings.

DMPRFC
15. Callum IRVINE, 14. Aedan MOLONEY (Brandon ASHER-WOOD, 40), 13. Ollie WALKER, 12. Benjamin DIXON, 11. Morgan PASSMAN (Benjamin FRANKLAND, 2) 10. Warren SEALS, 9. Cameron NORDLI-KELEMETI, 1. Ralph APPLEBY, 2. David NELSON(Joe DUFFY, 33), 3. Ignas DARKINTIS (Conrad CADE, 54), 4, Max DAVIES, 5. Talite VAIOLETI, 6. Daniel GRANGE, 7. Joe CRAGGS, 8. Oliver HODGSON.
Replacement; Euan McKIRDY (Not Used)

SCORING
Try: WALKER (2, 60), IRVINE (32), DIXON (80)
Conversion: SEALS (2, 32, 60, 80)
Penalty: SEALS (38, 63)
Drop Goal: None
Penalty Try: None
Yellow Card: None
Red Card: None

BLACKHEATH RFC
15. Benjamin RANSOM, 14. Jake LLOYD, 13. Alex PICKERSGILL (Henry STAFF, 61), 12. Markus BURCHAM, 11. Craig DOWSETT (Nicholas FOSTER, 49), 10. Mark COOKE, 9. Stefan LIEBENBERG, 1. Thomas WILLIAMS, 2. Michael PERKS (Harry FRY, 59), 3. Harry SEWARD (Daniel LAMB, 77), 4. Jamie URE (James CATT, 59), 5. Thomas STRADWICK, 6. Thomas BALDWIN, 7. Joshua POOLE, 8. Tom BURNS.

SCORING
Try: PICKERSGILL (8), DOWSETT (18)
Conversion: RANSOM (8), COOKE (18)
Penalty: COOKE (48)
Drop Goal: None
Penalty Try: None
Yellow Card: Thomas BALDWIN, 38)
Red Card: Stefanes LIEBENBERG, 2)

FT – DMPRFC 34 – 17 BLACKHEATH RFC
HT – DMPRFC 17 – 14 BLACKHEATH RFC
ATTENDANCE: 711
REFEREE: Mr Llyr Apgeraint-Roberts
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Joseph CRAGGS (DMPRFC)

NEXT WEEK - CHINNOR RFC (A)