Morpeth Edwardians 24 - Ponteland 2nd XV 16

A depleted Pont side due to injuries, unavailability, work commitments and first team call ups set off with 11 players ,luckily 10 yds later the prodigious talent of Luke Chick (on the way to the gym) had been persuaded to get his kit and have a run out. So with a team in disarray arriving in dribs and drabs, some with illness one being ill before and during the match another only partially recovered things didn’t look good for this local league game. Morpeth had no 2nd XV game so were able to loan two 2nd rows and a winger and were confident of a 50-60 point win which some Pont guys possibly may have accepted before kick off .

The determination, skill and youthful exuberance displayed was a lesson to all - don’t write a team off with their backs against the wall.

A delightful day with a sticky pitch and the late arrival of Rob Ash who had just finished a 14 hr shift boosted a Pont side that showed a lethargic Morpeth they would have to earn any rewards. Superior scrumaging and an ever improving lineout supplied a steady stream of possession to a Pont back line of Luke Chick (1st game in two years and 1st senior game) at fly half Phil Redhead who was on half power and ready to fertilise the pitch at any minute ,Phil McAreavey in the centre away from his No 8 shirt, local lad and utility man Chrissy Lane , Tetts at an unaccustomed No 15, Murph out of his sick bed on the wing and a loanee who would have been in our 1st XV if a regular at Pont. Luke brought out his array of tools and probed away using the willing runners chipping away at a sturdy defence getting Pont on the front foot and deservedly into a 6-0 lead with two superbly struck pens from Murph putting his practise over the years to good use. This could and possibly should have been more with a missed decent chance a difficult pick up knocked on, with a run in awaiting. The back row tackled, harried and got in Morpeth`s faces Jack Spells in the thick of the action all game Rob Ash danced and chased everything down and captain Rob Earnshaw putting his broken body on the line Jack Lockhart playing where needed, making his presence felt, some silky handling from the loaned 2nd rows and the evergreen Chris Steven dominating a front row battle alongside the never say die Elliot Mew with a tweaked groin and Simon Grant who just throws himself into every tackle, contact area and invariably ends up in the thick of the action. Half time neared and with an ailing scrum half Tetts went in to get the ball out unfortunately we lost it and with no one at home a kick over the top an unkind bounce meant 1st try to Morpeth which they kindly didn’t convert blazing wide. Half time arrived and the lads were cock a hoop as a rattled Morpeth then took back their loaned 2nd row who was probably their best prop as well.

For the second half Morpeth made a few more changes, extra fire power and fresh legs into their back rows and centres while Pont could only rotate their ill guys particularly Phil Redhead who needed some solar energy on the wing after hitting empty. The Morpeth reinforcements started to have an impact but it took another unkind bounce from a speculative kick ahead to give Morpeth the lead, the extras well struck from the touchline. Another absorbing period of play everyone giving 100% Morpeth`s strong ball carriers making small yardage but the energy absorbed defenders finally ran out of tacklers after a dubious penalty against us and Morpeth got their 3rd try. This galvanised Pont who then scored a superb try, some great angles of running set up the momentum with great back up play and Rob Ash scampered home next to the posts . A floppy kicking cone then denied Pont the extras with the ball falling over as time was running out and the ref deemed too much time taken and moved to the half way line. Morpeth got their 4th try with a speedy, elusive break from their winger being finished off by the sturdy frame of recent 1st XV’er Menzies. Pont refused to lie down and some smart handling got the ball out to Redhead who had a power surge up the touchline, an inside pass some great backing up and the loanee scorched in giving Pont a chance of a losing bonus point. Murph approached his kick however slipping onto his backside as he kicked the ball so it dribbled under the posts as the final whistle went. Game over.

Those watching sympathised as a fantastic effort deserved that point at the least. So many positives especially from the U23’s in the side; Grant, Mew, Ash, Spells, Chick and Varah are the clubs future nurtured by Steven, Tetts and Captain Earnshaw and a suitably impressed ex. County and Club President Wes Dixon on the touchline naming Spells his MOM - a hard decision on the day. The numbers were less than we need but the effort certainly not. This is the fourth game where clubs have not had their more senior side playing when Pont have played them and strengthened their sides in league games so we are in a false position at present but the worm will turn. Hopefully a home game next week T.B.A.

Team: C Steven, E Mew, S Grant, J Lockhart, J Spells, R Ash, R Earnshaw, P Redhead, L Chick, J Murphy, P McAreavey, C Lane and M Allan (Tetts).

Match Report By: Paul Walker, AKA “Wacker”.