These two old South London rivals eventually fought each other to a draw in a tense Local Derby – and although Park could easily have won at the death, the draw was the fairest result.

Rosslyn Park had more of the early play, but it was the home side who took the lead on 11 minutes, winger Leo Fielding slotting over a penalty for 3-0.

Given a penalty of their own, Park attempted to run the ball but it didn’t work out and it was Blackheath, now shading the play, who found a way to the line, Fielding slicing through the middle to score and then converting his own effort for 10-0 on 19 minutes.


Park’s Hugo Ellis on the charge

Park came roaring back through left winger James Hassell-Collins who scored in the corner, allowing Harry Leonard to display his consummate kicking skills in nailing the wide conversion for 10-7 on 29 minutes.

Blackheath came back and won a penalty that saw Park prop Maurice Nwakor sent to the bin for 10 minutes, but this time Fielding’s kick missed the target.

It was Park’s 14 men who came closest to scoring before the interval when a super break by right-winger Rhys Crane had runners in support, but Park lost the ball with the line apparently at their mercy.

Park made a strong start to the second half and pressure on the Blackheath defence yielded a penalty for Harry Leonard to tie the scores at 10-10 after 46 minutes of a pulsating match.

The home side came back with an immense attack, which drew some superb defensive tackling from Park who weathered the storm to clear.

Park then countered and, with numbers out wide and the home defence in retreat, Blackheath full-back Geoff Griffiths’ knock-on was deemed a deliberate action to prevent a try and the Penalty Try was awarded, to put the visitors ahead for the first time at 17-10 with twenty minutes remaining.


Gotcha!

It was now Blackheath’s turn to ratchet up the pressure to save the match. They won a penalty, which brought a huge groan from the home crowd as it hit the post and bounced out. Eventually the pressure told as Park conceded a Penalty Try to level the scores, and left them a man short for the final nine minutes as Mike Macfarlane trudged to the sin bin.

There was still a final twist as it was Park’s fourteen who swept up the field to threaten the home try line. Park did actually get over the line, and claimed to have scored, but such was the pile of bodies that the referee could not possibly see whether or not the ball was grounded. From the five metre scrum, Hugo Ellis did touch down, but the whistle had already gone to re-set the scrum.

Eventually Blackheath broke out and the final whistle brought an end to a classic local Derby that neither side would have deserved to lose.

Park Head Coach, Kieran Power, said “In some ways we were better but in the end it came down to ill-discipline with three yellow cards. We had the opportunities to win at the end, but just lacked accuracy”.

He summed up his side’s performance, “Commitment and passion: brilliant – accuracy: still yet to improve”.

Park: Robinson; Crane, Williams, Barnes, Hassel-Collins; Leonard; Crow; Nwakor, Gibson, Maguire; Spivey, Macfarlane; Barnard, Hudson, Ellis.
Bench: Bellamy, Wade, Cooke, Gash, Atkins
Park scorers: Hassell-Collins (T), Leonard (P, C), Penalty Try.

Park can now enjoy a seasonal rest until 6th January when they have another major Local Derby, against Esher at the Rock.

 

Charlie Addiman

Images: David E Whittam

Charlie Addiman

Images: David E Whittam

December 24, 2017