The charabanc left the Club in good time on Saturday morning, an uneventful journey to the coast with plenty of time to prepare. However, the game began to unravel immediately after the kick off!

Morley dropped the ball, Bridlington took possession on the 10 metre line and recycled through phases as if the Morley defence didn’t exist to challenge and slow the progress at the contact area. 90 seconds later and the jubilant home team and their support were celebrating the first try and conversion, 0-7.

Morley showed reasonable skills as they clawed their way back in to the game, against a team containing no less than 4 New Zealanders, enjoying the sea air. Noah Hawkins missed a penalty after 7 minutes, but Morley were showing promise after the early set back. Excellent defence on the Morley line led to a relieving penalty, Morley working their way well up field through good interplay and passing, earning another penalty on 20 minutes, with Noah successful, 3-7.

Although Bridlington were in the ascendency and Morley were at times lethargic, as the half time whistle approached it seemed that Morley would escape to fight the second half from 3-7 down, still well in the game.

However, the Marx Brothers would have been proud of the scene played out in the Morley 22 metre area following a good probing kick to the right from the Bridlington backs.

Instead of gathering the ball, Morley inexplicably “volleyed” the ball, football style, across the face of the posts infield. To compound matters, with play now on the left, another chance to clear the defensive lines was shunned, as Morley seemed to wait for the on rushing Bridlington players to converge, before kicking the ball in to them, for a charge down and try, 3-12 going in to the break.

It appeared that the “riot act” was read at half time and the Morley players seemed to rise from their collective torpor, pressuring a Bridlington yellow card after 43 minutes, and then producing an excellent handling move from right to left stretching the home defence, before Ed Kelly dived over at the posts. Noah adding the two, the game back in the balance at 10-12 after 47 minutes, the obligatory average 7 point swing for a yellow card.

The game now swung to and fro, with Bridlington attacking and forcing more stoic defence from Morley on their line. The pressure was building and in the 59th minute, George Fox received a yellow card for what the referee decided was off side on the line.

From the resultant penalty, Morley were short numbered and Bridlington took advantage with a well worked try in the left corner, no conversion, 10-17 on 59 minutes. Tom Haywood was next for the yellow card in the 68th minute; again for offside. At this point Bridlington had the put in at a scrum 5-10 metres from the Morley line.

With George Fox still off the field, front rowers Jamie Denison off the field with concussion, Tom on a yellow and Mikey Dixon receiving treatment, an uncontested scrum was sanctioned, meaning Morley had to provide 8 v 8 leaving only 5 backs on the line. The inevitable happened with Bridlington overloaded to score by the posts, a successful conversion taking Bridlington out to 10-24.

The home side won a penalty on 74 minutes, chiding the kick, extending the lead to 10-27. Yellow cards had cost Morley 15 points and the game.

The drama continued with a Bridlington player been shown a red card for a direct hit to the head of Marcus Abbott, who naturally was not happy, pushing his opponent, and receiving his own yellow card.

Morley played to the last whistle going through good phases to the left and forcing a 5 metre scrum. This was solid, George Bowen picked from No 8 sending scrum half Tom Davies over for the 5 pointer, Noah’s conversion the last act of the day and a very disappointing 15-27 defeat.

The hospitality in the Bridlington clubhouse was as usual top class; thank you Bridlington. The Morley players were in an eclectic mix of budgie smugglers, sailor’s outfits and other ensembles ready to enjoy their day at the seaside and maybe drown their sorrows. A stop over at Stamford Bridge allowed the players to recharge their glasses on the way back.

Back to Scatcherd Lane on Saturday for the visit of Dronfield – kick off 3.00pm

Photos of the match are available in Gallery or by clickingthe link below.

MRFC V Bridlington