Pontefract 28 Morley 10

It was a big day for Pontefract RUFC as they welcomed Morley for the first time ever in a league fixture. The visitors have been traditionally a senior club compared to Pontefract, and a bumper crowd turned up to watch the hosts give a performance full of energy, fight, and determination to complete a deserved victory.

Not for the first time this season, Ponte started well. Led by the magnificent Matthews brothers, Bailly and Brodie, the team went through the phases which enabled fly half, Liam Kay to put a chip behind enemy lines for speedster Ciaran Tucker to chase. In the melee that followed, the ball went loose for number eight Sam Millard to pounce and continue his fine try scoring form. The extras were added, and it was a fine start.

From the restart, Morley applied pressure on the Ponte line. Benefitting from a few soft penalties, it took tigerish defence to keep the visitors at bay. With the visitors repelled, Ponte worked their way up the pitch, a fine run from former Morley hooker Tim Pickersgill, allowed another former Morley man, Callum Rodgers, to pick and drive his way to the line for an unconverted try.

From the restart, Ponte lost Brodie Matthews for a high tackle, and it took a brave try saving tackle from full back Richard Dedicoat to stop a try as Morley managed twice to disrupt an otherwise imperious scrum by wheeling. It was Ponte who scored next, as Kay converted a penalty for a late tackle on livewire scrum half Josh Walker, for which the offender collected a yellow card. Half time and it was a fifteen to nil lead.

Morley opened their account soon into the second half as Ponte failed to execute a simple clearance from a scrum which allowed an overlap and an unconverted try out wide. Kaye was on hand to add a penalty for Ponte soon after, to extend the lead but were caught napping from a quick tap penalty and Morley scored again.

From the restart, Ponte settled the match with the try of the day. Set up by the forwards Replacement centre Harry Mcallister ran a superb angle from a delightful Kay pass to go under the posts unopposed. Conversion added and it was twenty-two to ten to the hosts.

Morley were by now looking a beaten side and Ponte were unlucky not to be awarded a bonus point try from Millard as the referee was unsighted from the grounding. The scoreboard did keep ticking over however as from the drop out, the ball landed in the hands of Kay who superbly drilled a drop goal through the posts to extend the lead.

By now Morley were giving penalties away for fun and Kay converted another to complete the scoring. Many in the crowd were advocating going for a bonus point try but after two last minute defeats in a row, securing the victory was the priority.

There are technical issues to work on with this young Ponte team but with the effort and team spirit on show anything can be achieved. In the forwards, special mention to hard working props Ethan Potts and Steve Anderson along with back rower Steve Reynolds who played with several stitches in his nose. In the backs, Andy Coleman was immense as they shrugged off the early loss of player coach Craig Fawcett.

It’s on to old foes from Halifax, Old Crossleyans away next week. A fixture Ponte have threatened to win in the last few seasons but have never managed.