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Heaton Moor 38 – Aspull 27
David Todd12 Sep - 17:26
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Good start
For their first league game of their 125th Anniversary season, Moor entertained Aspull at Green Lane on Saturday, having played them at the same venue exactly five months previously in the last league game of the 2023/24 season. Then, Moor claimed the victory in a closely-fought game that helped them retain their league position and, as it turned out, this time the result was exactly the same, with the home side scoring the same number of points as before. To add to the intrigue, both teams had played each other the previous Saturday in a Lancashire Trophy game, again at Green Lane, which the visitors had won 18-17 with virtually the last play. As a result of that match, captain Jack Pipe, beginning his third session in the post in ten years, received an injury that ruled him out of the game, relegating him to the role of a spectator.
Immediately following the kick-off by Moor, they were awarded a penalty, which was kicked to touch on their opponents' 5-metre line and the resultant catch and drive set up a rolling maul and when the ball was released to the back line, fly-half and coach Mike Ingham, was able to dart in under the crossbar for the opening try, which he then converted, to give his side the lead, one that they never relinquished. The visitors came straight back however, as from the restart, Moor were awarded a scrum which they lost, allowing Aspull to spin the ball along their three-quarters and score a converted try in the left-hand corner. Play then reverted to mid-field where solid defensive play by both sides cancelled each other’s attacks, but just before the end of the first quarter, there was a five-minute period that kept the scoreboard ticking over on three separate occasions. The first came when Moor lost a lineout, but the ball was chipped ahead by the opposition and gathered by right-winger Sam Firth, who sprinted deep into Aspull territory and when stopped, the ball was quickly recycled amongst the Moor players, ending with evergreen flanker Jimmy Hine scoring in the left-hand corner; the conversion by Ingham just drifting wide. The second score followed immediately, as Moor failed to gather from the restart, allowing the visitors to set up an attack which resulted in them being awarded a penalty in front of the Moor posts, which was kicked, narrowing the lead to two points. The final of these scores again followed the kick-off, as the home side immediately went on the charge and the ball once more found Firth, who jinked his way down the wing, finally setting up a ruck only five metres short and ending with prop Freddie McIlwraith crashing over for a try, converted by Ingham. The last ten minutes of the half saw both sides exchanging converted tries. The first went to Moor following another run out of defence when the ball was passed first one way and then the other, involving both forwards and backs, with the latter taking it into Aspull’s 22, where full-back Tom Shaw joined the line to score a bonus-point try. The second try came shortly afterwards, as Aspull, who always looked dangerous with the ball in hand, took play back into the Moor half, forcing them to concede a penalty, which was kicked to touch. Winning the lineout, the visitors set up an number of rucks and were finally rewarded with a score. In injury time at the break, they did have another chance of narrowing the gap when a long-range penalty kick to goal fell just short, making the score 26-17 to Moor at the interval.
The second half started in a similar fashion to that of the first, as a converted try was scored within minutes, as the home side failed to adequately field the kick-off, and were forced into conceding a lineout. This was won by their opponents, to set up another drive and they again forced Moor into conceding a penalty just short of the line, which was tapped and resulted in Aspull driving over to score and reduce the lead to two points. Moor recovered from this early setback and then edged most of the possession and position for the rest of the game. They eventually extended their lead following another drive up the field, again with interplay between forwards and backs and it was Firth who squeezed in to score their fifth try, converted by Ingham. The opposition did kick another penalty goal at the start of the last quarter, but soon afterwards Moor scored their final try and McIlwraith's second, which came from a lineout and the inevitable catch and drive. In the closing minutes, Moor were again on the attack, having won an opposition scrum to set up another drive into Aspull territory, but resolute defence from the latter prevented another score and the game ended with a 38-27 win for Moor. This was a hard-fought and entertaining win for Moor, with both sides looking to play an open game by running the ball at every opportunity and from the spectators' perspective, it is to be hoped that this will be a template for the rest of the season.
Next week, Moor’s first away game is at Tarleton, k.o. 3:00pm
Immediately following the kick-off by Moor, they were awarded a penalty, which was kicked to touch on their opponents' 5-metre line and the resultant catch and drive set up a rolling maul and when the ball was released to the back line, fly-half and coach Mike Ingham, was able to dart in under the crossbar for the opening try, which he then converted, to give his side the lead, one that they never relinquished. The visitors came straight back however, as from the restart, Moor were awarded a scrum which they lost, allowing Aspull to spin the ball along their three-quarters and score a converted try in the left-hand corner. Play then reverted to mid-field where solid defensive play by both sides cancelled each other’s attacks, but just before the end of the first quarter, there was a five-minute period that kept the scoreboard ticking over on three separate occasions. The first came when Moor lost a lineout, but the ball was chipped ahead by the opposition and gathered by right-winger Sam Firth, who sprinted deep into Aspull territory and when stopped, the ball was quickly recycled amongst the Moor players, ending with evergreen flanker Jimmy Hine scoring in the left-hand corner; the conversion by Ingham just drifting wide. The second score followed immediately, as Moor failed to gather from the restart, allowing the visitors to set up an attack which resulted in them being awarded a penalty in front of the Moor posts, which was kicked, narrowing the lead to two points. The final of these scores again followed the kick-off, as the home side immediately went on the charge and the ball once more found Firth, who jinked his way down the wing, finally setting up a ruck only five metres short and ending with prop Freddie McIlwraith crashing over for a try, converted by Ingham. The last ten minutes of the half saw both sides exchanging converted tries. The first went to Moor following another run out of defence when the ball was passed first one way and then the other, involving both forwards and backs, with the latter taking it into Aspull’s 22, where full-back Tom Shaw joined the line to score a bonus-point try. The second try came shortly afterwards, as Aspull, who always looked dangerous with the ball in hand, took play back into the Moor half, forcing them to concede a penalty, which was kicked to touch. Winning the lineout, the visitors set up an number of rucks and were finally rewarded with a score. In injury time at the break, they did have another chance of narrowing the gap when a long-range penalty kick to goal fell just short, making the score 26-17 to Moor at the interval.
The second half started in a similar fashion to that of the first, as a converted try was scored within minutes, as the home side failed to adequately field the kick-off, and were forced into conceding a lineout. This was won by their opponents, to set up another drive and they again forced Moor into conceding a penalty just short of the line, which was tapped and resulted in Aspull driving over to score and reduce the lead to two points. Moor recovered from this early setback and then edged most of the possession and position for the rest of the game. They eventually extended their lead following another drive up the field, again with interplay between forwards and backs and it was Firth who squeezed in to score their fifth try, converted by Ingham. The opposition did kick another penalty goal at the start of the last quarter, but soon afterwards Moor scored their final try and McIlwraith's second, which came from a lineout and the inevitable catch and drive. In the closing minutes, Moor were again on the attack, having won an opposition scrum to set up another drive into Aspull territory, but resolute defence from the latter prevented another score and the game ended with a 38-27 win for Moor. This was a hard-fought and entertaining win for Moor, with both sides looking to play an open game by running the ball at every opportunity and from the spectators' perspective, it is to be hoped that this will be a template for the rest of the season.
Next week, Moor’s first away game is at Tarleton, k.o. 3:00pm
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