Morpeth Provide a Nervy Win To League Leaders

Morpeth 5 Billingham 17

Morpeth started this game with only 14 players due to several players being struck down with illness and injury, and the home side kindly agreed to lend Morpeth the required man.

However, this did not seem to bother Morpeth as they started in the same way that they finished the match against Northern, with some aggressive rucking and ball carrying, however it was not long until the home side showed why they are top of the table by moving the ball quickly along the back line to touch down in the corner. Not a great start for the Northumbrians. Thankfully the home side missed the conversion, and so the score remained at 5-0.

Morpeth had some fight in them, and it showed with some big runs and some strong hand offs from the ginger centre partnership of Murphy and Young, and the rucking out remained strong. Despite this Billingham scored a second past the visitors after a mix up of communication amoung Morpeths back three meant that full back Alex Younger flicked the ball into empty space, which was pounced on by a home player, resulting in a try near the corner. Once again that kick was missed. 10-0 to Billingham.

Morpeth did not crumble! They came out fighting. McNeil marshalled his back line well as giant inroads where made by the flaming haired Murphy and the slightly less ginger Young, who’s still of running and big hand offs terrorised the Billingham back line and reduced their tackling efforts that off reluctant PE nerds playing rugby against the big boys! And it was not long until the efforts paid off, with Murphy bunny hopping into the corner with the would-be tackler wrapped around his ankles. However McNeil missed the difficult kick to take the score to 10-5.

It was Morpeths game for the rest of the half, as the screaming of the Billingham coach will surely testify to.

The second half was largely fought on the half way line as both sides through themselves into contact with a ferocity that I haven’t seen from Morpeth before. With bodies being pull on the line it was almost inevitable that tempers would start to fray, as first Billinghams’s no.7 and then Morpeth’s 7 became agitated and started elbowing and stamping respectively.

The yellow card seemed to be reserved for Morpeth’s centre, Greg Young, as he was bizarrely carded after the referee spotted a home back knee him in the head! As a result of out numbering the Morpeth defence, the home side spun the ball out from a penalty and were rewarded with the only try of the half. The kick was converted to take the score to 17-5 to the home side. The try would prove to be the last play of the game as the referee ended it after that. Despite the win, Bellingham came off the pitch the unhappier side as Morpeth were the better team and were unlucky not to upset the league leaders.

Morpeth Team:

1. Grieves

2. Benn

3. Max

4. McGuire

5. Werner

6. Calvert

7. Williams

8. Hughes

9. Arkle

10. McNeil

11. Nicole

12. Young

13. Murphy

15. Younger