Home side, Morley win 25-3 in first League fixture

Stockport travelled to Morley for the first league fixture of the season, still without a number of first choice players due to injury and other absences. The final result of 25-3 to Morley was perhaps an unfair reflection of the game as Stockport dominated the set scrums for most of the game and kept the home side pinned in their own half for most of the second period. However it was Morley who took took their scoring chances scoring three tries, two conversions and two penalties. Two of these tries came from turn overs as Stockport were attacking in the Morley 22. The real positive from this game was the performance of the forwards, with the front row of Simon Metcalf, Alex Hooley and Sean Gill dominating their opposite numbers in the set and the driving in the loose led by captain Kieram Hibbs.

The sides exchanged penalties in the first 10 minutes, Scott Redfern on target for Stockport. Morley scored on 15 minutes as Stockport failed to deal with a kick ahead and the Morley 7 went in under the posts for 10-3. 10 minutes later an off side in front of the Stockport posts allowed Morley to increase the lead to 13-3. After this score Stockport wing Andy Mycock suffered a neck injury and the game was interrupted for 45 minutes as the ambulance arrived and took him off to hospital. (fortunately there was no serious injury and Andy was on the coach for the journey home). After the restart Stockport were on the attack but a Morley kick ahead resulted in a line out which they won and a cross field kick allowed their right wing to score wide out, the conversion making it 20-3. There were no more scores in the first half but the Stockport forwards had put down a marker for a better performance in the second half.

A great scrum at the start of the second half gave Stockport a penalty and Redfern put the ball deep into the Morley 22, the full back knocked on 5 metres out and another powerful Stockport scrum gave another penalty and a scrum was opted for. With Stockport winning the heel and a good drive on the referee mysteriously gave a penalty against Stockport for driving upwards as the Morley front row disintegrated. This was a turning point as it would have put Stockport back in touch. Despite spending most of the rest of the half in Morley territory a penalty from their 22 gave the home side a line out in the Stockport 22 and their drive from the line out gave them an unconverted try to complete the scoring at 25-3. Stockport finished strongly and had a try disallowed for a knock on as they seemed to have driven over in the closing minutes.

Next week is a home game against Cleckheaton, with a 3pm kick off.