Home is Where the Heath Are

By: Graham Henthorne

Thatto Heath Crusaders 36 v 8 Crosfields

for the Tom van Vollenhoven Cup

Well it’s been a long time coming but the first game of Rugby League at the HOME of Thatto Heath Crusaders has taken place. And in what hopefully is an omen of things to come, the boys came away with a win and silverware to boot.

In conditions ranging from monsoon rain to scorching sunshine both sides served up a feast of expansive rugby for the sizeable crowd packing the state of the art clubhouse at Close Street.

Heath were guilty of letting their emotions run away with them in the first half trying to impress the crowd and score at every opportunity. Consequently the first two breaks ended with the ball being flung inside to nobody and possession being squandered.

It was left to Kieran Maddocks to be the answer to the future quiz question “Who was the first person to score at Close Street” as he started and finished the move for the first try.

From a play the ball on the half way line he scooted away from dummy half. In support on his inside Jimmy Hitchmough took the ball on before passing back to Maddocks to score to the right of the posts. Ted’s attempted conversion only managed to worry a couple of moles who’d popped their heads up to see what the fuss was all about.

As the half wore on the need to push the pass continued culminating in Heath having an extended tackling session.

Sanity finally prevailed just before the break as Jimmy used the win to perfection in banging down a 40/20. The Soap winger only succeeded in pushing the ball into touch closer to his own line giving Heath a scrum in Woodsy territory.

Sure enough the he dusted the off season dust from the old run around move and ghosted around the defence to score under the sticks. Ted managed to get the ball off the ground this time and Heath were 10 to the good at the break.

The half time exhortations from Hatto and Harris to forget the fancy stuff and play some sensible rugby seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as a Heath knock on gave Crosfields an easy score early in the second half. But from that point on Heath built pressure and field position and the tries came.

Minutes later and Jimmy Hitch’s miss pass was taken by debutant Andy Dobson who shipped it out to Si Holden. He shot down the wing before putting it back inside to Dobbo who took it to the fullback before feeding it inside to Jimmy Hitch to stroll to the sticks.

From deep in his own 20 metre area Geoff Williams moved the ball left to DJ who put Riggers free. He shot 40 metres down the left before unselfishly feeding Dave Hill to go the final 20 metres to the line.

The left hand side attack again yielded dividend making good yards before the ball was spread right. Jimmy Hitch brought Dobbo on the crash ball and he slipped the ball out of the back of the hand for Beechy to score.

Of course the answer to the next quiz question “Who scored the first hat-trick at Close Street?” will be an easy one for anyone in the future as the prolific Woodsy cashed in with the final two tries.

Both second and third tries were courtesy of trademark Maddocks dummy half breaks. Woodsy finished the second from 30 out, and the third after a series of offloads. Though his kicking hasn’t improved with the change of scenery!!

The result of practice matches is often not as important as the performance. The cobwebs have well and truly been brushed away and everyone will be better for it.

But the real winner today is the club of Thatto Heath. Many of us have slogged our ways around the boroughs and grounds of St Helens like nomads. Somehow with no fixed abode the players still managed to do us proud. Well now we have an abode, and it’s OURS. Watch this club grow and beware everyone else, the HEATH are coming.

The full set of pictures from the game are available here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/thattoheathcrusaders

Thatto Heath Crusaders

1.    Mike Woods
2.    Simon Holden
3.    Andrew Dobson
4.    David Johnson
5.    Dave Hill
6.    James Hitchmough
7.    Phil Asson
8.    Martin Shea
9.    Ryan Cunningham
10.    Geoff Williams
11.    Lee Gannon
12.    Mark Beech
13.    Martin Horton
14.    Kieran Maddocks
15.    Glenn Holland
16.    Neil Belshaw
17.    Paul Gauchwin
18.    Graeme Johnson
19.    Steve Dutton
20.    Alan Dootson
21.    Paul Rigby
22.    Dave Sutton

Crosfields

1.    Anthony Monks
2.    Ian Hannon
3.    Jack Smith
4.    Ian Bowden
5.    Alan Tiebeot
6.    Jimmy Williams
7.    Dave Gibbons
8.    Dave Bowden
9.    Mathew Pitt
10.    Barry Lowe
11.    James Glover
12.    John Pickersgill
13.    Craig Noone
14.    Neil Savage
15.    Phil Brazendale
16.    Alex Thomas
17.    Mathew Thomas
18.    Richard Hough
19.    Phil Bannon
20.    Dean Major

Thatto Heath Crusaders:

Tries    : Mike Woods 3, Dave Hill, James Hitchmough, Mark Beech, Kieran Maddocks.
Goals        : Phil Asson 4.

Crosfields:

Tries    : Ian Bowden, Alan Tiebeot.
Goals        :.

Half Time    : Thatto Heath Crusaders    10    
          Crosfields               0

Full Time    : Thatto Heath Crusaders    36
          Crosfields             8

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