Promotion challengers Durham City failed to take advantage of a trip to win-less Aldwinians, only managing a 12 point victory and so failing to close the points difference gap at the top of the table. Third place Driffield kept their challenge alive with a win at Aspatria and they will be waiting to pounce should either of the top two slip up in the final three games.
It sets things up nicely for the trip to Hollow Drift in two weeks time but given the gap until that fixture West will no doubt be looking for a friendly in order to keep things sharp in the build up to the crucial game. It will be billed as a winner-takes all fixture but there are still teams who will have a say in the promotion race, looking no further than across town at Rovers, visitors to Brinkburn on the last day of the season.
Other than the result the story of today's game was pretty grim. In conditions hardly suitable for entertaining rugby it was a mistake ridden affair in which both sides attempted to use the strong cross-field wind to play a territorial game but neither really generated many scoring opportunities.
It was the visitors, playing with what benefit the wind was providing, who opened the scoring, albeit against the run of play. They generated turn-over ball on half-way and after some neat passing winger Peter Cole raced away for a try with 15 minutes gone. The conversion stood little chance into the wind and held up well short.
West responded well with a try of their own just three minutes later. A kick to the corner from Moss and a good line-out take set the forwards rolling and Dan Boatman emerged from the bottom of the maul as the try-scorer. Moss had similar difficulty with the conversion so the scores stayed level.
A careless stamp from Anth Carr brought a yellow card from referee Ray Sutherland's pocket but a retaliation punch from Armstrong saw him join the West skipper in the bin and more importantly reversed the penalty allowing Moss to give the hosts the lead.
A further penalty from Moss 5 minutes into the second half extended the lead and another rolling maul ten minutes later set up a great position which allowed Moss to slip a nice pass Jonny Boatman who powered through the gap to score under the posts. Moss decided to convert via a drop goal and almost regretted his decision when the ball struck the post but bounced back through the uprights!
That was to be the last real action of the match with West just happy to get the end victorious and probably happy to have some time spare before the game with City to allow some injuries to heal. Andrew Davies limped off for the second week in a row, still struggling with an ankle problem and Rob Thorn left the game midway through the second half with a leg injury.
With only one game in the next month though it once again highlights the need for the leagues to be extended to fill these long spring fixture gaps.
West: Painter, Thorn (A Cheslin), Hodgson, Howe, C Cheslin, Moss, Tighe, Carr, A Dixon, Norris (Robinson), Davies (Garside), T Dixon, D Boatman, J Boatman, Rudd
Tries: D Boatman, J Boatman
Con: Moss
Pens: Moss 2
Morpeth: Rogers, Cole, McCreton, Hills, Mather, Harper, Cunningham, Ramsay, Thornton, Pringle, Forsythe, Astley, Duggan, Armstrong, Younger.
Try: Cole
Referee: Ray Sutherland [Durham Society]
Related Links:
Teams for March 8
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