ON a cold, wet and overcast day when indoor sports would have been more preferential, the hardy Rectory Field fans saw Blackheath succumb to another narrow National league 2 defeat against Moseley.

The locals were thrown into confusion from the start, when their favourites ran out in red shirts, as never in living memory have they worn red at home.

Moseley have identical colours to Club, so the home team changes when there is a clash, but the referee deemed that Blackheath's change strip to all-black would also cause confusion, especially when covered in mud.

Moseley must have been surprised when, initially, the home fans roared them on!

After Moseley's Ollie Thomas and Club's Steve McCashin exchanged penalties, the visiting goalkicker missed an easy chance before he landed two more to put Moseley 9-3 ahead.

Although McCashin reduced the arrears, Moseley immediately went to the other end and scored a try from Chris Holder, which Thomas converted to send his team in at the break 16-9 ahead after a third McCashin penalty.

Three minutes after the break, Thomas kicked a penalty from the halfway line.

After McCashin had pulled three points back, Club camped on the Moseley line for several minutes and despite the vistors infringing several times, the referee did not award Blackheath what should have been a penalty try.

The ball was cleared upfield and when Club skipper Colin Ridgway committed a similar offence, he was immediately sin-binned and the penalty try awarded.

Club finally showed their real form and from a lineout McCashin moved the ball to Robin Morrow and the Irishman scored a fine uncoverted try in the corner.

More great attacking play saw Chris Trace go over under the posts, which McCashin converted to give Club a bonus league point for their efforts.

Ridgway said: "For the first 40 minutes we didn't turn up. There was no continuity, but having said that, there was no consistency in the ref's decisions."

Next Saturday, Blackheath are at home to Newbury.