Haywards Heath lose out in ten-try thriller
After losing away at Eastbourne last week in a game they initially had under their control, Haywards Heath RFC were attempting to get back to winning ways at Whitemans Green against fellow mid table side London Cornish as the last few games of this season's Counties 1 Sussex/Surrey play out. But they slipped to a 36-33 defeat.
Player of the match Charlie Bennett claimed the ball from the kick off and crashed his way through tacklers before setting up a ruck. Quick ball saw Heath captain Jack Lucas break into the Cornish 22 before offloading to Jamie Thurston to score under the posts - Tom Wharton converted for 7-0.
Heath did well from the restart and after good work from the pack, moved deep into the Cornish 22 and with the ball spun left, winger Matt Cains was able to dot down out wide for 12-0.
Bizarrely Heath then took their foot off the gas and playing into the wind made some strange decisions which allowed Cornish back into the game. Two quick tries from Cornish tied the game up after only 16 minutes with Heath making basic errors to gift the visitors a platform.
Heath went ahead again after they stole a lineout on the Cornish 22 and drove up to the Cornish five metre line where Josh Salisbury spotted a hole in the defence and shot through the gap to score a converted try for a 19-12 advantage.
The lead continued to see-saw with Cornish punishing aimless kicking from Heath, returning a kick with interest and scoring in the corner for 19-17. The visitors then collected the restart and set up a seemingly innocuous ruck on their own 10 metre line. The Cornish scrum half and skipper saw Heath's defence lose concentration and burst down the side of the ruck outpacing the Heath backs to go under the posts from the half way line for 19-24.
Heath responded when a scruffy clearance kick was well fielded by Lucas and then hacked through by Evan Herbert for winger Matt Cains to touch down for his second try of the afternoon. Wharton added the two points for a 26-24 scoreline.
But yet again Heath let their good work go to waste by immediately conceding a penalty which was kicked to the corner and then mauled over the tryline by Cornish for a half time score of 26-31 to the visitors.
Heath started the second half the better with a lot of pressure in the Cornish 22, but poor execution and game management combined with a resolute Cornish defence again meant they came away with no points. Cornish clinically exited their half and with an air of inevitability scored again for a 26-36 lead.
Heath failed to capitalise on a number of opportunities but with 10 minutes to go Salisbury broke from his own half to gain territory. The move was continued by a barnstorming run from replacement back row Kai Dolan into the Cornish 22 from where Thurston flung a long pass to Wharton who was waiting out wide to score and then convert for 33-36.
Heath had plenty of possession in the last few minutes but couldn't get through the Cornish defence and had to settle for two losing bonus points.
Heath need to sharpen up for the final three games of the season as the mid-table battle intensifies.
Heath squad: Euan Greaves-Smith; Flinn Herbert; Harry Edwards; Dan Jarman; Harry Clarke; Connor Mullins; Josh Salisbury; Charlie Bennett; Jamie Thurston; Tom Wharton; Matt Cains; Jack Lucas (capt); Josh Pratt; Jack Flower; Evan Herbert; Elliott Higgin; Kai Dolan; Sam Denslow