Just as they had done in their meeting earlier in the season, Blackheath were made to come from behind to achieve victory over the West Midlands club and, as in the 24-19 win at Stourton Park, it was Steve Hamilton who produced the winning score. Unlike that occasion in October, however, Blackheath had to withstand a huge Stourbridge onslaught in the final quarter and even at the very death the visitors thought they might have grabbed the honours. A break started in his own half of the field by number-eight Duncan White ended over the Club's goal-line but the ball was adjudged to be held up and there was no time left on the clock for the five-metre set-scrum.
But in many ways it typified a game where the play flowed from end to end and where most of the points seemed to come against the run of play and territorial domination. Many at Rectory Field will feel that Stourbridge shouldn't have been able to get close, let alone be leading at the half-way stage, but three tries, well taken but ultimately gifted, handed the visitors an early initiative. After a bright start, and a ninth minute Matt Leek penalty, the hosts put themselves under pressure with a charged-down kick which led to ball being moved quickly for right-wing Martin Freeman, who proved a handful throughout, to make a strong run to the right corner. Leek responded with another successful penalty while, fortuitously for Blackheath, Stour full-back Ali Bressington, who arrived as the league's second highest points scorer with 206 (161 with the boot), was destined to have one of his less productive goal-kicking afternoons and, having missed with a straightforward penalty on 25 minutes, put his next kick into touch following a dangerous break from scrum-half Tom Richardson. The drive from the line-out met with a powder-puff response, allowing hooker Harry Collins to ground the ball across the try-line but the Club pack made immediate amends with a massive shove from a scrum on the visitors' twenty-two which forced a third penalty for Leek. But just as the hosts had gained that psychological edge, Stour moved the ball quickly from the next set-piece, catching the Club defence cold, and enabling left-wing Scott Morriss to capitalise with a break down the left flank to give the visitors a 17-9 lead.
The victory at Stourton Park in the autumn had featured two penalty tries, and as half-time approached, and Blackheath upped through the gears, Liam Wordley once again opted for the set-scrum under the opposition uprights. Initially the ball was turned over but patience was rewarded on the stroke of the interval as the hosts kept up the pressure, and as the Stourbridge eight disintegrated once more, referee Luke Pearce awarded the Club their seventh penalty-try of the term.
But if Stourbridge could do little to resist the pressure that brought Blackheath back within a point, they'll be thoroughly fed up with the try that handed the hosts the lead, and ultimately the match. It was left to Alex Page, who had moved off the wing to scrum-half following the dangerous tackle that flattened James Honeyben prior to the break, to spare Blackheath's blushes as Stour poured through a hole in midfield shortly after the re-start, but still the visitors set good field position on the Club's goal-line. But the ball that came in-field was too slow, allowing Hamilton to intercept, and the inside-centre gleefully romped away the 90-odd metres to score under the uprights.
Tom White might have put the result to bed on 65 minutes after Hamilton turned over ball and sent the youngster haring down the right flank. But the replacement for Honeyben (who by now was happily regaining consciousness in hospital and hopefully not too disappointed at learning that penalty tries had moved ahead of him as top try scorer) had put a foot in touch, and Blackheath needed to endure a desperate final quarter in which they tackled furiously to hang on to the win.
Scorers:
Blackheath Tries: Penalty try
Hamilton
Conv: Leek 2
Pens: Leek 3
Stourbridge Tries: Freeman
Collins
Morriss
Conv: Bressington
Graham Cox