Match Reports
morley win hard fought derby
Saturday 21st November 2009
Morley 14 Cleckheaton 3
TOP-of-the-table Morley made it 10 straight wins, but were made to fight all the way for their latest in the West Yorkshire derby at a soggy Scatcherd Lane.
TOP-of-the-table Morley made it 10 straight wins, but were made to fight all the way for their latest in the West Yorkshire derby at a soggy Scatcherd Lane.
With the wet conditions proving a leveller at times and spoiling the much anticipated game as a spectacle, Saturday's National Three North match quickly developed into a forward battle and a kicking contest, both of which the Maroons edged to hold onto their top spot.
If anyone thought Cleckheaton would be easy beats they were in for a rude awakening as the visitors started solidly with former Morley favourite Pete Murphy, now player-coach at Moorend, kicking for position and pushing his ex-teammates back.
A seventh minute penalty gave them their first chance and up stepped Ross Hayden to send the ball sailing between the posts for the first three points of the afternoon.
Morley looked to hit back as Joe Battye and Sean Dadswell combined only for Craig Field to drop a difficult pass on the 22 metre line. But they were soon having to defend at the other end as a series of forward drives carried Cleckheaton to within touching distance of the try-line.
This Morley side does not give up tries lightly, however, and they repelled their opponents' advances with some great tackling and tremendous organisation, even if they were a little fortunate when Carl Mason knocked on close to the line after latching onto a loose ball from a home line-out.
Eventually the hosts cleared their lines and they gradually came into the contest before levelling on 25 minutes with a Simon Bradshaw penalty. Fly-half Mark Chester showed his displeasure at the decision to go for goal just outside the 22, but it was the right one with points always going to be elusive in the difficult conditions.
Five minutes later Chester was the central figure again, this time with a brilliantly judged kick for the corner over the Cleckheaton defence. Right wing Chris Morgan won the chase for the ball and timed his dive to perfection to come up with the day's first and only try.
Bradshaw was unable to add the conversion but after 34 minutes Chester landed a drop-goal from 30 metres to make it 11-3.
He had been given plenty of time to line up the kick by his forwards, who were now beginning to get on top in all phases of the game.
The second half saw the Maroons dominate territorially as Chester constantly pegged the visitors back with touch finding and long kicks that constantly had the Cleckheaton team turning.
Morley gradually turned the screw, although they did not turn chances into points with the recalled Neil Murray tackled 12 metres out and Bradshaw pushing a tricky penalty just wide. The impressive Chester then tried a short kick over the defence for himself and got to the ball first only for it to slip out of his hands on the 22 metre line.
Chester went even closer soon after when he chased up his own kick downfield, got to it first after it bounced and hacked on again only to lose out - just - to winger Mitch Ashworth in a desperate race to touch the ball down as it rested over the line.
The hosts did add to their lead on 64 minutes when awarded a penalty for a ruck offence and Bradshaw kicked his second goal from the 22 metre line.
It was all Morley, but they found their opponents' defence in determined mood and failed to put any more points on the board, although Chester pulled a drop-goal attempt narrowly wide and in the last action of the game Bradshaw caught his own chip over only to drop the ball with the line seemingly at his mercy.
Cleckheaton only had possession in home territory twice in the whole of the second half and it summed up their afternoon when they opted to put the ball in the corner from a late penalty only to knock-on from the resulting line-out when just five metres out. They had kept going right to the end and made it as hard as possible for the Maroons, but ultimately were second best.
Morley: Evans; Morgan, Ash, Murray, S Bradshaw; Chester, S Dadswell; Gabriel, Darbyshire, Gray, Stannard, Chamberlain, Field, Hewetson, Battye. Replacements: Nutbeen (used), Brocklehurst, Marshall (unused).
Cleckheaton: Massarella; Ashworth, Jackson, M Piper, Hayden; Murray, Castle; Turner, Worsley, Goodwin, Mason, Burrow, Jones, R Piper, Hamilton. Replacements: Edwards, A Piper (used), Depledge (unused).
Referee: Dean Lythgoe.
If anyone thought Cleckheaton would be easy beats they were in for a rude awakening as the visitors started solidly with former Morley favourite Pete Murphy, now player-coach at Moorend, kicking for position and pushing his ex-teammates back.
A seventh minute penalty gave them their first chance and up stepped Ross Hayden to send the ball sailing between the posts for the first three points of the afternoon.
Morley looked to hit back as Joe Battye and Sean Dadswell combined only for Craig Field to drop a difficult pass on the 22 metre line. But they were soon having to defend at the other end as a series of forward drives carried Cleckheaton to within touching distance of the try-line.
This Morley side does not give up tries lightly, however, and they repelled their opponents' advances with some great tackling and tremendous organisation, even if they were a little fortunate when Carl Mason knocked on close to the line after latching onto a loose ball from a home line-out.
Eventually the hosts cleared their lines and they gradually came into the contest before levelling on 25 minutes with a Simon Bradshaw penalty. Fly-half Mark Chester showed his displeasure at the decision to go for goal just outside the 22, but it was the right one with points always going to be elusive in the difficult conditions.
Five minutes later Chester was the central figure again, this time with a brilliantly judged kick for the corner over the Cleckheaton defence. Right wing Chris Morgan won the chase for the ball and timed his dive to perfection to come up with the day's first and only try.
Bradshaw was unable to add the conversion but after 34 minutes Chester landed a drop-goal from 30 metres to make it 11-3.
He had been given plenty of time to line up the kick by his forwards, who were now beginning to get on top in all phases of the game.
The second half saw the Maroons dominate territorially as Chester constantly pegged the visitors back with touch finding and long kicks that constantly had the Cleckheaton team turning.
Morley gradually turned the screw, although they did not turn chances into points with the recalled Neil Murray tackled 12 metres out and Bradshaw pushing a tricky penalty just wide. The impressive Chester then tried a short kick over the defence for himself and got to the ball first only for it to slip out of his hands on the 22 metre line.
Chester went even closer soon after when he chased up his own kick downfield, got to it first after it bounced and hacked on again only to lose out - just - to winger Mitch Ashworth in a desperate race to touch the ball down as it rested over the line.
The hosts did add to their lead on 64 minutes when awarded a penalty for a ruck offence and Bradshaw kicked his second goal from the 22 metre line.
It was all Morley, but they found their opponents' defence in determined mood and failed to put any more points on the board, although Chester pulled a drop-goal attempt narrowly wide and in the last action of the game Bradshaw caught his own chip over only to drop the ball with the line seemingly at his mercy.
Cleckheaton only had possession in home territory twice in the whole of the second half and it summed up their afternoon when they opted to put the ball in the corner from a late penalty only to knock-on from the resulting line-out when just five metres out. They had kept going right to the end and made it as hard as possible for the Maroons, but ultimately were second best.
Morley: Evans; Morgan, Ash, Murray, S Bradshaw; Chester, S Dadswell; Gabriel, Darbyshire, Gray, Stannard, Chamberlain, Field, Hewetson, Battye. Replacements: Nutbeen (used), Brocklehurst, Marshall (unused).
Cleckheaton: Massarella; Ashworth, Jackson, M Piper, Hayden; Murray, Castle; Turner, Worsley, Goodwin, Mason, Burrow, Jones, R Piper, Hamilton. Replacements: Edwards, A Piper (used), Depledge (unused).
Referee: Dean Lythgoe.
Tony Harber Morley Observer & Advertiser
