Cleckheaton 31 Moortown 17

Cleckheaton welcomed Moortown to Moorend for the first time in many years looking to take maximum points to consolidate their position in North One East. Tom Austin returned to action after missing 6 games through injury and Gus Milborne came back into the 1st XV after being unavailable since Christmas. Brad Marsden and Joey Carley were unavailable this week.
The home team started brightly and took the lead on 2 minutes when prop Andy Piper forced his way over the whitewash for his 4th try of the season after a line out 10 metres from the line, conversion missed 5-0. In a bizarre passage of play, both the Moortown centres were shown yellow cards on 10 and 12 minutes reducing the visitors to 13 players, then moments later the Moortown Touch Judge was ordered from the field after offering his opinion to referee Mr Binnie.
Cleckheaton took advantage of the gaps in the back line immediately when right wing Jack Marshall blasted over in the corner for his 9th try of the season, expertly converted by Dale Breakwell 12-0 after 13 minutes. Moortown put in some telling runs but the Cleckheaton defence was rock solid with Seddon and Plunkett putting in big hits and when in possession Austin, Lillycrop and Milborne making the hard yards downfield. Hooker Ben Thrower was next on the scoreboard when he controlled a maul and crashed over the line on 27 minutes to record his 7th try of the campaign, Breakwell struck the upright with the conversion but the score was out to 17-0. Moortown opened their account on 39 minutes when the Loose head prop found himself in space to score a try , kick was missed 17-5 at half time.
Cleckheaton got the bonus point try on 44 minutes when Jack Seddon got on the end of great break by Austin who handled twice in the move to score wide out on the left , Breakwell added a difficult conversion to extend the lead to 24-5.
Moortown applied considerable pressure on the Cleckheaton line and after the home team were penalised, the scrum option was taken and the number 8 picked up at the base to score the visitors 2nd try, 24-10. Chris Piper and Archie Rika Rayne entered the game replacing Thrower and Jackson . Cleckheaton put the game to bed on 67 minutes when Olly Depledge intercepted and raced away to score under the posts, Breakwell converted and the score was comfortable at 31-10. Andy Piper then saw the referees yellow card after an adjudged high tackle on 70 minutes but the visitors couldn't take advantage until a series of scrums close to the Cleck line saw Chris Piper dispatched to the sin bin for not keeping the scrummage straight and the referee awarding the penalty try 31-17. There was just time for another attack by Cleckheaton but a forward pass ended the threat and the game finished with Cleckheaton convincing 31-17 victors. The bonus point win kept Cleckheaton in 2nd place in the league behind York with a gap to Driffield , Morley and Moortown. No league action next week , Cleckheaton travel to West Hartlepool on 1st February kick off 2:15. There will be a coach provided for supporters wishing to make the trip, details will be provided shortly.