At 26-0 up with 20 minutes to go West looked to be cruising to a comfortable away victory. But a late rally from M orpeth made the scoreline look a lot different if never threatening to change the outcome.
Having, by their own admission, struggled last week in beating Durham City this was a much more encouraging performance from the men in green and white. The handling was better and the decision making streets ahead of seven days earlier. Paul Moss controlled things and kicked well out of hand along with accumulating 19 points by virtue of a try and five successful goal kicks.
West had dominated territory and looked very powerful and organised in defence until the last 20 minutes when they started to lose shape and Morpeth found the gaps very astutely. This was, in part due to losing some key players through injury. Henry Tones and Jon Boatman, workhorses all afternoon, both limped off and when Paul Rudd was also forced from the field it left West with a somewhat makeshift back row of Dan Boatman, Greg Edwards and skipper Anth Carr! Hopefully the injuries will not prove too serious as the trio would be a huge miss for next weeks game at home to Driffield.
Matthew Jinks, often West's nemesis, failed to convert either of the home sides two scoring opportunities in the first half. He missed with two penalties after 4 and 5 minutes and after that Morpeth barely thretened the 22 let alone the line. Paul Moss made no mistake with his penalty opportunities on 15 and 24 minutes – either side of a sin-binning for Morpeth incessantly killing the ball.
As the half drew to a close Moss added a try to his mounting points tally. West's rolling maul, which was dangerous all game, set up a good attacking position and after some good work down the wing, Moss popped up in support to dance down the line for the score. He was unsuccessful with the conversion but it gave West a 12-0 lead at the half and it was certainly well deserved.
The rolling maul was back in action again just two minutes in to the second half and it set up another penalty which Moss again made easily. The game then seemed to be sealed with two tries in 3 minutes. First Paul Rudd scored one of the simplest tries of his career when an overthrown line-out landed in his hands five meters out and he obliged by trotting round under the posts. The second try was created by some excellent work from the Boatman brothers. First Dan charged down a kick and collected the loose ball to feed Jon, as ever in support, on half way. He took on Jinks and raced away up-field. He was finally brough down just short of the line but managed to reach forward to make the touchdown and score a fantastic try although some of the gloss was taken off by an injury sustained in the act of scoring.
With Tones already off the field and Boatman and Rudd now joining him it left West with that makeshift backrow of prop, centre and flanker! Alan Rogers got Morpeth's first try, cutting through a hole in the West defensive line to score under the posts. A further converted try was added with 10 minutes to play and at 26-14 West needed to switch back on. A fourth Moss penalty pushed the lead to beyond three scores but Morpeth did manage a final try – Peter Cole scoring with the last play of the match.
An excellent result and performance to build on will leave coaches Davy Tight and Tim Sawyer much happier than last week. Morpeth is a tough place to visit and to build a 26 point lead with nothing conceded if a very impressive effort. With Driffield next up at Brinkburn the games don't get any easier, but two wins from two is just the start the doctor ordered.
West: Thomas, Hare, Hodgson, Howe, Weegram, Moss, Williamson, Carr, A Dixon, Robinson, Rudd (Phillips), Davies, D Boatman, Tones (T Dixon), J Boatman (Edwards).
Tries: Moss, Rudd, J Boatman
Con: Moss
Pens: Moss 4
Morpeth: Rogers, Cole, B Hills, S Hills, Mather, Jinks, Reynolds, Ramsey, Thornton, Dickinson, Forsythe, Shippen, Watson, Armstrong, Scott
Reps: Cunningham, Pringle, Morrison
Tries: Rogers 2, Cole
Cons: Jinks 3
Related Links:
Morpeth Preview
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Author: West Park Allotment
Date: 17-09-07 10:05
Sounds more comfortable than the scoreline suggests. Well done to Moss and is there any news on these injuries. Bit worrying with Driffield coming up.
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Author: El Pedro
Date: 17-09-07 12:42
i'm hardly an expert but they didn't look like serious injuries - hopefully they'll all be available for saturday - it'd be a hammer blow if they didn't make it
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