Heath demolish Stockport to cruise into next round of Plate

Roared on by a large home crowd, Stockport broke the deadlock with a converted try early on but Heath stormed back to claim a 54-26 victory that sets-up a home tie against Shropshire side Newport in the next round.

Tom Clough crossed in the corner, Chris Johnson converting from the touchline, to level the game on seven minutes and Heath hit the front when Callum Harriott-Brown broke 50 metres before Ben Stringer backed-up to touch-down a Johnson-improved try on 15 minutes.

A mistake from the restart saw the first scrum of the game and a barnstorming run from Harvey Keighley-Payne saw him held up but the ball was spun across the Heath back line and, with some fabulous handling and off loads, Jake Haynes collected the final pass to score a converted try to make it 21-7.

Heath were now playing with confidence and following a good run from Elliott Knight, Seif Boussadda was on hand to collect the ball before releasing the supporting Stringer for his second try of the game, converted by Johnson with 25 minutes gone.

Stockport were struggling with the pace of the game and with Jake Haynes' speed causing massive problems for the home defence, Keighley-Payne went on another barnstorming run.

Johnson’s cross-field kick found Haynes and he barged over in the corner, Johnson again tagging on the extras.

With half-time approaching, Heath looked out of sight but Stockport were given hope when they crossed the whitewash to make it 35-12 at the interval.

Heath were back in the ascendancy on the resumption and within five minutes, Boussaada’s surge forward was superbly supported as Keighley-Payne rounded off the drive with a try, converted by Johnson.

The home side responded with a converted try but there was no denying the visitors and when the ball came across the line, Haynes was on hand to round off the move on the hour.

As the match wound down, the visitors put in one final challenge, moving the ball from one side of the field to the other and back again, with superb handling pulling the home defence apart.

Haynes was on hand again to score his fourth of the game, converted by Joe Gallagher, to make it 54-19 before the home fans had something to cheer when Stockport finished off the scoring with the final try of the match.