Moor fend off potential slip against Eagle

MOOR’S game against Eagle had all the hallmarks of a potential banana-skin slip-up for the Green Lane side as they looked to consolidate their mid-table position, especially as the Warrington club had just edged it in the equivalent fixture last season.

Early exchanges suggested this might happen again, but in the end, Moor ran out comfortable winners.

Moor did not make an auspicious start as they knocked on retrieving the ball from the Eagle kick-off, which resulted in the visitors being camped near to the line for the first five minutes.

Fortunately, the home side kept their opposition out and in their first foray into the Eagle half, came away with three points, courtesy of a penalty from the boot of fly-half Mark Edwards.

Back came the visitors to win a scrum on the Moor five-metre line. The ball was fed to one of their centres on the burst, who crashed over near the posts for their opening score; the conversion being surprisingly missed.

Eagle had another chance to go further ahead when they were awarded a penalty, but the resultant kick hit the upright.

This let-off seemed to galvanise Moor. From that point they gradually took control of the game, with their forwards winning the battle in the tight play – scrums and line-outs – and their back line always looking dangerous with the ball in hand.

Solid Eagle defence did, however, prevent Moor from running away with the game and it wasn’t until midway through the opening half when the visitors had a player sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle, that Moor took advantage.

Winning a line-out on the opposition’s ‘22,’ they produced a driving maul and as it neared the Eagle line.

The referee adjudged it had been brought down illegally and awarded a penalty try; the conversion being a formality for Edwards.

Moor continued to have the edge, but had to wait until injury time at the interval before extending their lead, following a pick up by No 8 Will Pacey at the base of a scrum and when he was halted, captain Ben Jones, deputising for the day at wing-forward, was on hand to scoop up and crash over for a try, converted by Edwards.

From the restart, Moor continued in the same vein, but resolute defending by the visitors kept them out.

Eventually, this defensive wall was breached when, following a series of drives, the ball was quickly passed along their back line for Perkins Joseph to be put away to score a classic winger’s try, again converted by Edwards.

Eagle refused to throw in the towel and Moor had cause to defend their line on a number of occasions.

In the last ten minutes, Eagle were rewarded for their efforts when the home side was penalised just short of their line and the visitors’ ever-alert scrum-half caught Moor napping as he took a quick tap-penalty to dive over and then convert his own try.

Moor were still looking for a bonus-point fourth try, which came in the last few minutes when full-back Matt Hughes joined the line at pace and his powerful running evaded the opposition’s cover as he breezed in to touch down, with Edwards making the easiest of conversions.

The final whistle brought a 31-12 win for Moor, but the efforts of the visitors belied their league position and ensured the hosts could not relax.

That Moor did not have more to show for their efforts was a credit to the Eagle loose play, as their forwards were always eager to take the game to their opposition, with the pick and drive being a feature of their game and had it not been for too many unforced errors, might have kept Moor wrapped up for far longer.

For Moor, the twelfth combination of half-backs in league matches this season seemed to operate well, as utility back Jack Humpage made his senior debut at scrum-half.

Moor entertain Vagabonds from the Isle of Man next Saturday at Green Lane, kick off 2.15pm.