Heath Bury Their Hosts in Their Own Graveyard

By: Graham Henthorne

Normanton Knights 14 v 16 Thatto Heath Crusaders

A last ditch length of the field try from Kieron Maddocks proved that as far as Christian warfare is concerned the Crusaders are the real deal while the Knights are just poor imitations. Although there was little Christian charity on show at this rain-swept, muddy corner of Wakefield.

The home side took the lead with a penalty for offside which turned out to be a common occurrence today! But Heath could and should have scored twice in the next ten minutes to put clear daylight between themselves and the Knights.

Firstly Buffer broke down the right and put Sutty away. He took it to the full back only to find the floor instead of the four supporting players any of which could have scored under the sticks. Minutes later and Maddocks again broke down the Knights suspect left flank feeding Hitchy whose ball out to Sutty was spilled with the line at his mercy.

To compound these misses firstly Buffer and then Froddy left the field with game finishing injuries. When the Knights scrum half Hill reverse chipped for his supporting full back to gather in front of the statuesque Quinny and Maddocks the home support went bananas.

As the rain beat down heavier and the pitch began to resemble the proverbial ploughed field the Heath faithful began to wonder if 8 points would be enough.

But the boys upped the anti and as Maddocks broke and kicked ahead a good chase forced the winger to kick the ball dead. From the restart, big drives from Legger and Martin Shea took Heath to the Knights line. From the play the ball Johnny Hughes scooted right dummying his way over the line. Quinny slotted the conversion and Heath were back in it.

On the stroke of half time (forgetting the four and a half minutes of unplayed injury time) Normanton converted a penalty for knees in the tackle to stretch the lead at the break to 4.

The second half started with more of the same. The home side pounding Heath down the middle, and the ref penalising us for…. well for something that the weather was obviously obscuring from your correspondent. The result was that the 8 point margin was back and with only 20 minutes to go a super human effort was required.

But super human is what we got.

AB led the way again breaking through down Heath’s right. He took it to the full back before feeding it inside to Hitchy who somehow managed to get those little legs to beat the cover to score in the corner. Quinny missed with the difficult conversion of the touchline but Heath were within sniffing distance.

The Knights weren’t going to give up without a fight and heroic defence twice kept them out on Heath’s line. The last time in the final minute of normal time (6 missed minutes this half) saw Heath regain possession on their own line.

A massive drive from Lamby beating three took play away from the sticks and 20 metres from the line. A quick play the ball gave Maddocks the chance to dart to the left. His short ball to Quinny and then on to Daz put the winger away down the left. He beat his opposite number and took it 40 metres to the full back before feeding the supporting Maddocks on the inside. He managed to somehow shrug off the cover before sliding over behind the sticks for the decisive score. Despite an expressive intervention from the newly arrived touch judge, the try stood and Quinny survived the petulant and unrepeatably unsporting jibes of the home team to convert and win the game for Heath.

As the whistle sounded the home team surrounded the ref, no doubt to inform him that they were removing him from their Christmas card list and the Heath travelling support went wild.

It’s difficult to pick out a man of the match. Mainly ‘cos you couldn’t tell who was who. All deserve a mention, from Mr 80 minutes Legger, Scoot Maddocks, Shea and Lamby, Johnny Hughes, Stotty and Hitchy to Beechy (and not just for his new found diplomacy in front of the ref which saw him not sin-binned for arguing all our cases, something which Harris only aspires to!!)

In recent weeks the coaching staff have rightly been concerned that whilst we can blow sides away we havn’t really been in a nip and tuck arm wrestle and come out the other side. Well worry no more boys. If you can go to an intimidating place like this, in conditions that are alien to all that Thatto Heath stands for, take all that is thrown at you and still win it with rugby, then you have nothing to worry about.

 

Normanton Knights

1. Michael Butterfield

2. Jonathon Hodgson

3. Paul Greaves

4. John Wheeldon

5. Andrew Greaves

6. Adam Thaler

7. Michael Hill

8. David Dunwell

9. Chris Woolford

10. Scott Jones

11. Jonathon Kirk

12. Paul Seal

13. Simon Morewood

14. Phil Newsome

15. Jonathon Smith

16. Leigh Riddell

17. Ian Hoult

 

Thatto Heath Crusaders

1. Shaun Quinn

2. Darren Woods

3. Chris Frodsham

4. Johnny Hughes

5. Dave Sutton

6. Andy Stott

7. James Hitchmough

8. Mick Ledger

9. Kieron Maddocks

10. Glenn Holland

11. Ste Woods

12. Andy Bailey

13. Mark Beech

14. Kenny Hughes

15. Carl Lamb

16. David Johnson

17. Martin Shea

 

Normanton Knights:

 

Tries : Michael Butterfield.

Goals : Michael Hill 5.

Drop Goals :.

 

Thatto Heath Crusaders:

 

Tries : Johnny Hughes, James Hitchmough, Kieron Maddocks.

Goals : Shaun Quinn 2.

Drop Goals :.

 

Half Time : Normanton Knights 10

Thatto Heath Crusaders 6

 

Full Time : Normanton Knights 14

Thatto Heath Crusaders 16

 

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