Caldy Edge Blackheath in Greene King IPA Opener
Caldy secured a narrow victory over Blackheath in the opening round of the Greene King IPA Championship, winning 28-24 on Friday evening. The result leaves both sides with identical records after one match each. Caldy sit eighth in the standings while Blackheath occupy eleventh place, with each team carrying one point from their sole fixture.
The away side took control in the second half after a closely contested opening period. Blackheath had looked dangerous in their previous outing against Nottingham, losing 38-31 just a week earlier, but could not replicate that attacking output here. Caldy, meanwhile, came off a narrow defeat to Hartshead 42-40 on Wednesday and managed to turn that momentum around.
Both teams entered this match with mixed form over recent months. Blackheath had put up a dominant 27-7 display against London Scottish back in May, while Caldy's recent results have been more inconsistent, including a heavy 64-15 defeat to Empshall in April. The contrast between those performances and this tight contest showed how the division remains unpredictable.
The loss extends Blackheath's winless run to two matches, while Caldy's defeat to Hartshead earlier in September now appears as part of a challenging start to their campaign. Neither side has found their rhythm yet, but the margin of victory suggests both are still working out their patterns.
The standings remain fluid with only one round completed. Sixteen points separate the top two sides from these bottom placements, and both teams will need to build on this effort as the season progresses.
