Back

Login

Don’t have an account?Register
Powered By
Pitchero
News & EventsNewsCalendar
Pontefract v Moortown.  Match Report

Pontefract v Moortown. Match Report

Phil Atkinson20 Jan - 21:19

A tense affair at Moor Lane with Ponte sealing the win

Proud to be Ponte Today
- Phil Atkinson - Club Chairman

The pitch at Moor Lane has weathered well so far this winter, and the favourable weather on Saturday delivered perfect conditions for a thrilling match. The game earlier in the season was a tense affair just edged by Moortown and so both sets of players were up this game.

Before the game started though both teams and supporters observed an impeccable minute’s silence in honour of our old friend Bob Lockwood who passed away earlier this month. Our thanks are due to Moortown and referee Simon Franks for their support.

Pontefract had the advantage during the opening stages of the match. A Liam Kay penalty took them deep into the opposition’s half and from the resulting line out they pressured the line. The strength of the Pontefract pack was brought to bear, allowing powerhouse loose forward Sean Simpson to break from the back of the scrum and cross in the corner for an unconverted try.

Following further pressure, it was not long afterwards that Linden Metcalfe who has been resurgent since his recovery from injury crossed in the opposite corner for another unconverted try making it 10:0 to Pontefract. For all the world it looked like Ponte would add another only to be denied by magnificent last-ditch tackle by the full back.
With ball in hand Moortown now looked a better side and started playing some attractive rugby and narrowly missed opening their scoring following a classy break from their fly half. Their time finally came a few minutes before half time when No 10 made another fine break to score under the posts making it 10:7. The scoring was not quite finished though with both sides trading penalties in the very long closing minutes of the first half. The half time score was 13:10 and the game was wide open.

The second half was tough physical encounter with not much to choose between the two team. Kay added another three points in the early stages, but after Moortown had their best spell of the match. Stout defence by the home team denied a number of opportunities, but Moortown broke through following some good forward work and scored a converted try. Moortown now led by one point (16:17) and the Ponte crowd were getting nervous. Tempers on the pitch were also frayed and both sides lost players to the bin after some fractious exchanges.

At one point Tad Nayanjowa thought he had made the breakthrough following a storming break by Steve Anderson, only to be denied by a double movement.
Pontefract finally sealed the match after a classy move by the backs ended with a try in the corner by Josh Millthorpe. In the dying minutes Moortown threw everything at Ponte, but the defence and discipline held firm, and the match ended with the scoreline 21:17.

This was a highly competitive game between two very good sides, and it could have gone either way. Both sides are to be congratulated for a very entertaining match. A good team performance saw Pontefract home.

Next Saturday the 1st XV are away at Malton for the re-arranged game that was postponed because of snow and ice last week. The 2nd XV host Selby at home. Both games kick off at 2:15pm.

Further reading