Blackheath end Albion's perfect home record

PLYMOUTH Albion's 11-game winning streak came to an end in front of 2,550 at Brickfields after recording their first loss of the season at home to promotion challengers Blackheath.

- By WILL PORTER Rugby correspondent

Plymouth Albion's Noah Pearn on a run

(RYAN PEARD)

Despite a tremendous fight back in the second half Albion fell just short, the visitors' early lead proved insurmountable as they secured a 26-34 win.

Early discipline proved costly for Plymouth, as three consecutive penalties gifted Blackheath the field position to unleash their most lethal weapon: the driving maul. Billy Harding, who entered this fixture as the league's top try scorer, with a staggering 37 tries to his name, wasted no time in adding to his tally. He steered the maul over the line to claim the afternoon's opening score, with Sam Morley slotting the conversion to signal a dominant start for the visitors.

Albion squandered a multitude of opportunities level the score, as unforced errors at the lineout gifted the visitors both territory and possession. Blackheath's second try followed shortly after. Plymouth managed to quell the driving maul, but a clever move found Blackheath's fullback with enough space to place a grubber through for Thomas Hughes to dot down in the corner. The conversion went wide to leave the score 0-12 after 15 minutes.

On the 18-minute mark, Albion were awarded their first penalty of the afternoon and immediately sought to pressure to the visitors. Harry Wilkinson's lineout found its jumper, sparking a maul that ate up the metres. A series of pick and go's brought the home team within five metres of the line, before the momentum was halted when Albion were deemed to have committed a penalty at the ruck.