1 point scant reward as H & W are pushed to the wire

The match began with OD's kicking up the slope shading the initial exchanges though Heathfields line out proved to be a source of plentiful possesion for the visitors all afternoon. After several thrusts at the visitors line, Jayden Dallalana was put over by the posts for a converted score, Heathfield converting two penalties to leave the old boys enjoying a narrow 1 point advantage at half time but with the benefit of the slope to come.

Heathfield initally had the better of things in the second period, working ruck ball left for a run in for the winger, the try unconverted making the score favour the visitors 11 - 7. The Old Boys took the lead mid way through the second half. Following fly half McKillops kick was centre Kirkland who put in an excellent chase to pressure the Heathfield defender into conceding a turnover. After a slow start Kirkland is looking better with each week and one the many facets of his improving game is the pressure he exerts from chasing kicks and not allowing defenders to slip the leash having fielded the ball. From the resultant scrum skipper Burgess barged over for the score capping his performance as OD's stand out forward. The kick, crucially, was not sucessful.

Now trailing 12 - 11 Heathfield established field position and eventually worked an opportunity for a smartly taken left footed drop goal to establish a two point lead. Now trailing 14 -12 to with 15 minutes to play the old boys, hampered by Marcus Whytes trip to the bin, bravely attacked the Heathfield line. With just seconds left winger Laud-Anderson looked to be streaking toward the corner flag following excellent work from Jayden Dallalana and his midfield colleagues only to be tackled into touch inches from touching down the winning score. With the visitors now themselves a man down as D's pressure extracted a yellow card offence the chance to turn over the line out presented the final throw of the dice. In a moment of supreme anti climax D's were pinged for numbers in the line out and H & W scrambled the free kick clear to finally gain the sanctuary of the final whistle.

I was taken to task quite rightly by player coach Lee Smith for implying he had been subjected to repeated sin binnings in last weeks report, when in fact Lee has be binned just once in the regular season. The team however are seeing yellow regularly and continued to make life more difficult with two more here. To be fair these were the results of defensive commitment rather than gormless foul play but I stand by the point that the old boys need to give themselves every chance in these tight encounters. That said I'll continue to support the old boys in print and dwell on the positives, and know we'll all do the same on the sideline. Pulling together will hopefully pull the team out of their slump and in that we all have our part to play.

So the last two fixtures have been lost by three and now two points, hopefully a sign that a win or two is just around the corner. This Saturday the old boys face a daunting visit to leaders Brighton, a fixture that will test their new found resolve.