Disappointing cup defeat for Heath

Coach Matt Hawke's team showed eight changes from the starting line up in the league match against Dover the previous week but with near perfect weather conditions, the squad looked up for the challenge.

Heath were on the attack immediately with second row Dan Shotton claiming the kick off and marauding down field. However Heath spurned the chance to score points from their early visit to the opposition 22, which turned out to be the story of a frustrating afternoon for the home side .

Exiles first real attack of the game saw them score when good pace from their right winger cut the Heath defence open for a converted score. Heath couldn't get into the game and were soon further behind when a penalty infringement at the breakdown on their own 10 metre line was successfully kicked for a 0-10 lead for the visitors.

Heath had their own chances to get on the board with a break from scrum half Brett Menefyproviding great field position. Time after time the Exiles defence held firm, keeping out the home forwards and the ball was eventually turned over by the visitors after Heath had ignored a three man overlap on the left of field from which they surely would have scored. After going so close Heath were then hit with a sucker punch as the Exiles fly half kicked a pin point accurate cross field kick to his right wing, who again caused chaos in the Heath defence before an inside pass put them in for the try, increasing the Londoners lead to 0-17.

At the break Heath regrouped and came back with a renewed vigour. This time they were able to make early pressure count and after trying to break through defenders with a number of phases,including a barrelling run from Joss Townsend who was injured in the process, Heath were eventually able to exploit space wide right where front row Euan Greaves-Smith dived over for the try. The conversion slid wide but Heath were now on the board at 5-17.

A kick up the touch line put Exiles in further trouble and after conceding a scrum they managed to repel a number of Heath attacks before conceding a penalty in front of the posts. Heath took it quickly and went left where Jamie Diggle was able to crash through three Exiles tacklers to score. Peter Kerins knocked over the conversion for 12-17 and with a yellow to the Exiles open side for killing the ball, things were looking up for the home side.

The game then took a nasty twist with a potentially serious neck injury to Heath blindside Darren Lockyer causing the game to be stopped and moved to the 2nd team pitch whilst an ambulance was called. This unfortunate break in play disrupted the momentum of the match and understandably the concentration of Heath who were concerned for their team mate and, although Heath tried to continue where they left off, a lack of accuracy in their game compounded with wrong options and final passes going astray meant that despite having a number of line breaks and plenty of pressure they were unable to get the vital next score. After looking like scoring in the left corner,Heath coughed up possession and during the resulting Exiles attack conceded a penalty which was converted for a 12-20 lead to the Exiles.

Again Heath worked their way back into the opposition’s 22 with a promising move, only to get turned over and hit on the counter by the speedy opposition backs for a score which made it 12-25. The pattern continued to repeat itself with Heath dominating possession and territory but lacking the clinical incisiveness of the opposition - another turnover and another try took the score to 12-30 to Exiles. With the game lost Heath still had a go and from a penalty five metres out looked to have an ideal scrum platform to score a consolation try, but miscommunication meant the planned move didn't work and once again the mistake was punished with Exiles going the length of the pitch to put the icing on their cake and make the score 12-37. A yellow for Heath and a second yellow for Exiles saw the teams finish the match with 14 players a piece.

An afternoon of missed opportunities and fundamental errors saw Heath knocked out of the Cup and plenty of work for the coaching team to do in sharpening up the execution and refocusing the squad for the league campaign. Coach Matt Hawkes will have been encouraged by the number of chances created, but equally disappointed at some of the defensive lapses and failure to take points at each visit to the red zone. However the defeat was put in perspective as the afternoon could have been a whole lot worse given the worry over the potential spinal injury to Lockyer who fortunately was given the all clear later that evening.

Next Saturday sees Heath travel away for yet another Sussex derby against old rivals Pulborough who together with Heath were newly promoted to London South East 2 this season. Another tight match is expected.

Heath 1st XV squad: Jack Bull, Joss Townsend, Euan Greaves-Smith, Gareth Fergusson, Dan Shotton, Steve Doku, Darren Lockyer, Nick Main, Brett Menefy, Peter Kerins, Roscoe Atkins, Max Drage , Matt Smith, Jamie Diggle, Sam Galbraith, Subs: Huw Jenkins, Tim Whitehead, George Davies, Henry Warwick