Ken Habergham Festival

KEN HABERGHAM Mini Festival 2007 - 14/10/07

Morley U11s V Huddersfield YMCA U11s

First game of the festival for Morley was to be against the eventual winners of the U11 age group, Huddersfield YMCA and Morley turned in their worse performance of the day. Playing against a well organised and savvy outfit, Morley were under pressure for most of the game with poor tackling, lack of fight in the rucks/mauls and giving away silly penalties. Has the scoreline suggests Morley were never in this game and perhaps still day-dreaming about the England win in the previous night's World Cup semi-final.

FINAL SCORE: Morley 0 - 28 Huddersfield YMCA

Morley U11s V York U11s

The first half of the York game mirrored the previous match, with York dominating and scoring three tries to none giving a half-time score of 21-0. But, at last, in the second half Morley decided to compete and looked a different side. Good scrummaging and lineout ball, credit due to the forwards, gave their backs chance to run and pass the ball, keeping possession for several phases of the half and showing how Morley can play. Although York scored another try before the end to extend their lead , the Morley team had shown a considerable improvement from the first match.

FINAL SCORE: Morley 0 - 26 York

Morley U11s V Yarnbury U11s

This game highlighted how evenly matched the two sides were, and unfortunately a comparable lack of skill. With both Morley and Yarnbury enjoying large amounts of possession and territorial advantage during the game, neither team could create an opening or give the decisive pass to score the first points. The half-time score was 0-0. The second half didn't get much better, and it looked like one try would win it, Yarnbury somehow managed to score. Not an enjoyable experience for the neutral.

FINAL SCORE: Morley 0 - 5 Yarnbury

Morley U11s V Dinnington U11s

After a stout team talk from Morley's coaches, the fourth and last game against Dinnington proved to be Morley's best display of the day. A lot of early pressure from Morley paid dividends when Dinnington decided to play hot potato with the ball on their own goal-line, and leave fly-half Chris Sawicki with the simplest scores by touching the ball. Scrum-half Joe Firth's conversion made it 7-0 to Morley and things looked promising. But, this was to change straight away from the high ball restart when a fumble let Dinnington score an unconverted try, 7-5. Both teams then matched each other for a while in attack and defence with some good rugby, unitl Dinnington pegged Morley back on their own line and eventually broke through after another mistake by Morley's defence. It could have been worse but for a try-saving tackle by right wing Lawrence Earnshaw, on his own line and keeping the game in the balance, with a score-line of 7-12 to Dinnington at half-time. Although there were no more scores from either side in the second half, both teams played there part in an enthralling game, with Dinnington being victorious.

FINAL SCORE: Morley 7 - 12 Dinnington

Team Squad:

Forwards: Luke Metcalfe, Joe Horner, Tyler Harrison, Benjamin Clay, Richard Hall, William Sadler, Thomas-John Cook,

Backs: Joe Firth, Chris Sawicki, Alex Stevenson, Ryley Wan, Lawrence Earnshaw, Sam Hood and Cameron Wallis.

Morley U9s

Congratulations and a special mention goes to Morley's U9s who were the winners of their age group at the tournament, beating several teams in the process and being the first successful home side to win for a few years at the Ken Habergham Mini Festival. Good luck for the future.

Special Appreciation