Bonus point win for Morpeth sees them keep up the pressure on league leaders

The home side, who took an early lead, were always in the game and finished the stronger, as Morpeth struggled to maintain the necessary discipline.

Eden took the lead after only three minutes. It came with recycled ball and an enticing cross kick. Then, as the ball entered the dead ball area, winger Harry Hoggan was adjudged to have ‘played the man’ rather than the ball. The match official awarded a penalty try and the winger was sinbinned.

Morpeth soon hit back, assisted by some strong running from number 8 and skipper for the day, Micky Hall. It caused the home side to concede a penalty that fly half Harvey Gillie nonchalantly converted on six minutes.

Taking on Hall’s example, Morpeth began to exert pressure, but on 15 minutes, after going through the phases, a loose pass close to the Eden try line was intercepted.

Defence was instantly turned into attack, and the home side were subsequently awarded a penalty, to make the score 10-3.

A feature of the disjointed game was the frequently changing score line.

On 17 minutes Gillie made use of some quickly recycled ball to dummy his way over from 22 metres. It was one of the best moves of a poor match – the same player added the conversion.

Better was to come for Morpeth when on 22 minutes centre Callum Burgess scored a try, initiated from a long way out after Sam Hornby turned over an Eden attack and set off from deep inside his own half.

Unsurprisingly, he produced a kick ahead and, with the assistance of a fortuitous rebound, the ball found its way into Burgess’s arms and the centre raced away to score. Gillie converted.

The scores kept coming. This time for the battling home side who, on 29 minutes, were awarded a penalty try after Hall was deemed to have brought down a maul. Another sinbin followed, and the score became 17-17.

The first half ended with Morpeth down a man, yet coming up with two further scores. The first was a Jake Stephenson try after a Gillie break. Gillie’s conversion was simply superb.

Four minutes later the lead was increased to 17-27. Ryan Shaw was held up over the try line, having not being able to ground the ball. The resulting drop out was received by Gillie, who struck the sweetest of drop goals.

The second half couldn’t have started better for Morpeth. Hornby initially gained possession from the restart, putting Eden on the back foot.

Further recycled ball resulted in Gillie bundling his way over. Another terrific conversion followed. 17-34.

To their immense credit, Eden came straight back into the game. On 48 minutes they were rightly rewarded with a score after Morpeth began to fall off tackles – 22-34.

Morpeth just about put the game out of reach when winger Jake Stephenson led a super counter attack, beating several players, before handing on to Hornby, who, along with Burgess, combined to send Cade Whitfield over the line for an unconverted score on 55 minutes.

The home side then had the final say with an unconverted score and finished the game the stronger of the two sides.

Final score 27-39.