Moor see off neighbours for derby win

WITH local bragging rights very much at stake, Moor visited local rivals Marple to see who could move into the higher echelons of the division.

The game started well for Moor with the pack going through the phases on a number of occasions only for the sorties to founder on a belligerent home defence who looked to counter with some powerful surges of the own with Marple’s 10 and 12 looking particularly dangerous.

On 17 minutes Moor kicked for the corner only for stand in stand off Chris Ogden Smith to miss touch.

For some reason, instead of a 22, a scrum was awarded which saw the Marple right wing break the length of a the field for a brilliant solo effort to see Moor go seven points down.

Despite the early setback, Moor continued to build the pressure and were soon rewarded with a score of their own from veteran prop Joe James.

At this stage the script for the game looked set with Moor making most of the hard yards through the pack but with Marple looking far more dangerous in the backs and from one such home attack they retook the lead.

Moor weren’t to be down for very long as they immediately set about righting the scoreboard. Centre Tom Ireland took play to just outside the home 22 where scrum half Mike Ingham waited for back row Jim Hine to arrive at pace to blast a hole through the Marple defence where only a brilliant tackle stopped him short of the line.

The remaining defenders were absolutely obliterated as skipper Ben Jones copied the trade mark Hine surge, arriving quicker and even more powerfully for a try.

Moor should have extended the lead after a mazy run from wing David Adebo as he led the Marple defence a merry dance before setting up Tom Ireland who was stopped inches short of the line.

Into the second half and Moor continued to dominate territory and possession without reward as they spurned several gilt edged chances.

The introduction of the bench early in the second half appeared to make the difference as messrs Durber, Goodwin and Briggs seemed to lift the intensity of those around them as Moor ran in five tries in the last 25 minutes.

All of the tries were the results of wonderful broken field running as the series of collisions that had littered the game appeared to be taking a heavier toll on the home side than it did on the visitors which created the space for Remi Akinbode, David Adebo, Mike Ingham, Tom Ireland and Jack Briggs to add their name to the scoresheet.