THIS was an absolutely outstanding match and a huge credit to both sides who looked to play open and attractive rugby throughout.

Ironically though, in such a game, it was a penalty, courtesy of Exiles’ fly-half James Brown, that clinched it, keeping Scottish in second place in the table and in touch with league leaders Esher.

There were eight tries in all, three apiece in a first half that ended level at 20-20.

Scottish scored the first two after fly-half Paul Humphries had briefly given Blackheath the lead with a penalty, both tries a result of crossfield kicks that sat up nicely first for hooker Thomas Standfield and then wing David Howells.

But Blackheath responded quickly.

Scrum ball was moved across field to find Tom White in space, the full-back then releasing debutant wing Ben Ransom for a well-taken try to reduce the deficit to 10-12 on 14 minutes.

Club skipper Tom Bason galloped down the right flank following turnover ball for a second, and although Brown nipped in with a penalty, flanker Dave Allen was driven over on the half-hour following a line-out to restore Blackheath’s lead.

However, it was the Exiles who finished the half on the attack, number-eight William Lipp’s try levelling the scores at the interval.

Blackheath started the second period the better, probing the Scots’ defence, and the next try was one of the best you will ever see.

Ransom, just seventeen years of age, collected the ball on his own ten-metre line and beat just about the entire opposition defence for a great score from sixty metres.

But if Blackheath had an Achilles’ heel it was their re-starts, and Scottish quickly worked an overlap for full-back Frankie Neale to cross before two Brown penalties gave the Exiles their lead.

Humphries missed a difficult penalty chance and White saw his long-range drop-goal attempt fall just wide at the death, and Scottish held on for the narrowest of victories.

Next week Blackheath travel to Cornwall to face Launceston before returning to Rectory Field on February 20 to take on top of the table Esher.

Scorers: Blackheath tries: Ransom 2, Bason, Allen. Conv: Humphries, White. Pens: Humphries, White.

London Scottish tries: Standfield, Howells, Lipp, Neale. Conv: Brown. Pens: Brown 3.