2nds team report

Second XV match report:

The first match of the season for Pontefract second XV was away against the formidable Morley Seconds on Saturday.
Morley, a team who put 70 and 77 points past Pontefract last season, were strong favourites, despite Pontefract fielding a particularly strong team.

The Moor laners started the game well with fierce tackling from Lewis Hibbert, Andy Coleman and Leo Harrison. However, Morley soon showed how well drilled they were by running in two well worked tries.

Undeterred, the Pontefract boys soon found an answer of their own when Andy Coleman burst over the line to the adulation of the visiting fans.
Just before the halftime whistle, the home side managed to score from a pick up at the back of the scrum, despite strong work by the Pontefract pack, in particular the second row combination of Andy Fenton and Toby Field.

The visitors began the second half well with superb crash balls from Josh Blackmore and Andy Coleman peppering holes in the Morley defence. Fantastic ruck work by Billy Coleman and Chris Max enabled quick hands from Matty Hargreaves and Stand-off Cieran Tucker to put Blackmore over for Ponte's second.

Despite the solid tackling of flanker Lee Bennett, Stuart Dedicote and the Coleman Brothers, the Morley stand-off marshalled his team well and they were able to run in two tries.

Pontefract weren't ready to roll over however and they fought back hard, Captain David Webb ripping the ball from a Morley maul to pull the Ponte boys out of their own half. The fearsome Pontefract advance continued up to the Morley line where Hargreaves sent the ball in to the waiting arms of Rob Smith who burst over the line for Pontefract's third score.

Pontefract's fourth score came from quick thinking by Hargreaves and Max as the senior players took a quick line-out, catching the Morley team off guard and sending Hargreaves over for a well deserved try.

Morley had the final say when their captain crossed over just before the final whistle.

The final score was 42:26 - Andy Coleman converting three tries for the visitors.

Despite the loss, Pontefract second XV can be proud of their performance, showing heart, talent and lots of promise for the new season.