We can rightly feel a bit disappointed not to have added that fourth try as we attacked in the final ten minutes but Morpeth's defence was strong throughout the game and held out to secure a deserved losing bonus points for the Northumberland side.

With a gusting gale blowing down the Brinkburn pitch and heavy rain throughout the morning having left the playing surface extremely soft it was never going to be an easy afternoon for rugby. We were guilty of attempting too many long passes in the wind and as at Rovers last week, struggled to secure regular, clean lineout ball. We got the better of the refereeing decisions at a messy scrum but Morpeth's tackling was solid and prevented our forward ball carriers getting the upper-hand.

Matthew Jinks opened the scoring after 15 minutes with a long range penalty for the visitors, but we responded with the opening try from Adam Larkin 10 minutes later. A spell of pressure in the 22 brought a number of penalties and warnings from the referee and having turned down a kickable penalty in-front of the posts we were eventually rewarded when the ball was moved to the right wing where Larkin fended off his opposite number and finished well in the corner.

Morpeth bounced back with a try on 38 minutes. We had kicked a penalty from inside our own 22 to touch but Morpeth won the lineout and some powerful running from the forwards got them up to the line where prop Scott Ramsay wrestled over. Jinks couldn't add the extras leaving the score 8-5 to the visitors.

However, we got the lead back before the break as in injury time Gav Robinson and Dan Boatman combined to set Andy Cheslin away up the left-wing. The winger did well to ride a high tackle from full-back Wilkinson and carry on to touchdown for another well finished try. The wide conversion was just about impossible into the wind and unsurprisingly went wide.

Playing with the elements, we dominated territory in the second half but scoring opportunities were few and far between. The crucial moment eventually came with just over 10 minutes left. Replacement Paul Jackson was yellow-carded after another series of warnings and when we called for a scrum Morpeth were forced to temporarily replace the prop. Sacrificing a back-row proved costly as Andrew Foreman picked up from the base and easily went in for our third try.

Still only a converted try behind, Morpeth had their best moments of the half in the closing stages, opening up a couple of opportunities but dropping two crucial passes as our defence began to tire. In the final minutes we pushed up towards the line but a turnover allowed Morpeth to clear to touch and hang on to the losing bonus point they had well deserved.

West: Waites, A Cheslin, C Cheslin (Watson), G Robinson (Moss), Larkin, G Foreman, A Foreman, Carr, Bailey, Coates (Miller), Davies, Lloyd, D Boatman, J Boatman, Stockdale.

Tries: Larkin, A Cheslin, A Foreman
Sin-bin: G Robinson

Morpeth: Wilkinson, S Hills, Lynn, B Hills, Sims, Jinks, Slater, Ramsay, Charlton, Campbell, J Armstrong, Forshythe, Bell, R Armstrong, Duggan.
Reps: Jackson, Carmichael, Shippen

Try: Ramsay
Pen: Jinks
Sin-bin: R Armstrong, Jackson

Referee: Paul Fincken [Durham Society]