Sat 5 Nov 2022
Friday night saw some fantastic fireworks at Woodhead Park as they launched their 'Brods Big Bonfire', and Saturday was no less explosive as Brods saw off high flying Moortown in a pulsating encounter.
Moortown arrived on the back of their first defeat of this year's campaign, having succumbed to Malton the week before, whilst Brods continued their rebuilding on the back of a 40-28 defeat to Scarborough. From the off however, any neutral would have been hard pressed to pick which team had been merrily thrashing all comers for the majority of the season to date.
The Brods forwards dominated the opening minutes, with Pete Ashton leading the way with several powerful carries. Close to 20 phases followed (not all from Peter), resulting in a Brods penalty which was kicked to the corner. The lineout was spoiled but the pattern for the afternoon was beginning to emerge.
Moortown were to clear their lines, and when Brods conceded back to back penalties Moortown were to exert their first real pressure of the day but it came to nought as Brods were able to pressurise them into a spill in mid field.
Learning from recent weeks, Brods were more willing to kick to clear and a raking Hodkinson clearance was to find the Moortown 15 in his own 22. In a rare attacking foray for Moortown, he ran it back to half way and an infield break by their ten set up an opportunity out wide but Brods were once again able to shut them down and win a penalty as the Moortown players went off their feet at the ruck.
Fresh from a couple of weeks out Loketi Manu was soon making hay in midfield, and a scything run, followed by supporting efforts from Elliot Craven and James Millingoton brought them in sight of the Moortown line, but a knock on was to bring the attack to a close.
A great break from the Moortown 8 soon had the Woodhead lads on the backfoot, and it was only a sloppy forward pass than brought play back when the wing and scrum half contrived to blow Moortown's best attack of the half with a long run in to an open try line beckoning. Coach Oli Ackroyd was to leave the pitch at this point and not return, nursing what looked like a nasty arm injury, adding to the teams long list of injured players.
The visitors were content with kicking possession away to gain field position, but Callum Bacon was reading the game beautifully and snuffed out any attacking threat with a calm head, great positional play and good decision making. Jimmy Hodkinson and Matty Briggs were keeping the ball moving well and Brods did not seem to be in much danger of conceding. The first try of the game was soon to follow with Loketi Manu weaving his way through 4 defenders just short of halfway, and he was able to ride the cover tackling to offload to Tom Ashen who went in at the corner for a deserved lead, much to the delight of the crowd.
The lead lasted no time at all though, and Moortown scored the best try of the afternoon in what seemed to be their last real attacking effort of the day when they worked the ball from touch line to touchline, imperiously cutting the scrambling Brods defence to pieces and neat interplay down the grandstand touchline saw the winger feed the supporting who crashed over for a great converted try.
Brods were attacking the Moortown lineout with some success, and they were next to attack when Matty Briggs made a fantastic break from the base of a ruck in his own 22, taking his team up to halfway. They then received another penalty for a petulant late hit on Matty Briggs which was kicked to the corner. The line out was disrupted, but Brods had a scrum and Loketi Manu was soon in again when he ran an arcing line, decided against passing to the 2 man overlap, and shrugged off the Moortown defenders to give Brods a 10-5 lead, which they took into half time.
The second half started with the sky darkening and the weather worsening. The Brods forwards were making metres against their significantly larger counterparts, though the backs were unable to fashion an opening of note. Moortown were seemingly content to kick any ball they had back to Callum Bacon at Fullback and Brods resisted anything reckless and controlled the game, pushing Moortown back time and time again. Rackstraw, Murphy, Root and Heap were all carrying well, and Ryan Harris was solid in the lineout giving the home team good field advantage as the rain continued to fall. Joe K was felled by the Moortown fullback in a last-ditch tackle following a midfield break from the destructive Tongan, and the game developed into one of ball control and possession for the home team.
Both teams struggled to fashion anything of note until Manu made another break in midfield, but once more Brods failed to capitalise as the heavens opened. Brods were also having some success in the scrums, but both teams were able to snuff each other out for a ten-minute period.
Michael Briggs was relishing the opportunity to run at the Moortown centres, and a break soon set them up on the front foot and a penalty was won when the Moortown defenders failed to release. From within the opposition ten metres, directly in front of the posts, Matty Briggs slotted a fantastic long-range penalty to put Brods 13-7 ahead with what was to be the last score of the day.
Brods continued to carry well and press the Moortown half, and whenever Moortown had the ball they continued to kick it to the waiting Callum Bacon who dealt with everything with seeming ease. Moortown could probably still be playing alone in the dark right now as I write this on Sunday night, and they still wouldn't have scored.
Ackroyd's team worked the clock down with clinical effectiveness, and the Moortown bench were reduced to shouting and gesticulating desperately into the miserable Woodhead conditions to win the ball, as their players simply could not prise it from the Brods miserly fingers. Jimmy Hodkinson was soon to kick the ball into touch to end the game and give Old Brods a well deserved victory, much to the obvious delight of the crowd. Moortown will have better days I am sure, but for me this was the highlight of the Brods season so far.
Moortown arrived on the back of their first defeat of this year's campaign, having succumbed to Malton the week before, whilst Brods continued their rebuilding on the back of a 40-28 defeat to Scarborough. From the off however, any neutral would have been hard pressed to pick which team had been merrily thrashing all comers for the majority of the season to date.
The Brods forwards dominated the opening minutes, with Pete Ashton leading the way with several powerful carries. Close to 20 phases followed (not all from Peter), resulting in a Brods penalty which was kicked to the corner. The lineout was spoiled but the pattern for the afternoon was beginning to emerge.
Moortown were to clear their lines, and when Brods conceded back to back penalties Moortown were to exert their first real pressure of the day but it came to nought as Brods were able to pressurise them into a spill in mid field.
Learning from recent weeks, Brods were more willing to kick to clear and a raking Hodkinson clearance was to find the Moortown 15 in his own 22. In a rare attacking foray for Moortown, he ran it back to half way and an infield break by their ten set up an opportunity out wide but Brods were once again able to shut them down and win a penalty as the Moortown players went off their feet at the ruck.
Fresh from a couple of weeks out Loketi Manu was soon making hay in midfield, and a scything run, followed by supporting efforts from Elliot Craven and James Millingoton brought them in sight of the Moortown line, but a knock on was to bring the attack to a close.
A great break from the Moortown 8 soon had the Woodhead lads on the backfoot, and it was only a sloppy forward pass than brought play back when the wing and scrum half contrived to blow Moortown's best attack of the half with a long run in to an open try line beckoning. Coach Oli Ackroyd was to leave the pitch at this point and not return, nursing what looked like a nasty arm injury, adding to the teams long list of injured players.
The visitors were content with kicking possession away to gain field position, but Callum Bacon was reading the game beautifully and snuffed out any attacking threat with a calm head, great positional play and good decision making. Jimmy Hodkinson and Matty Briggs were keeping the ball moving well and Brods did not seem to be in much danger of conceding. The first try of the game was soon to follow with Loketi Manu weaving his way through 4 defenders just short of halfway, and he was able to ride the cover tackling to offload to Tom Ashen who went in at the corner for a deserved lead, much to the delight of the crowd.
The lead lasted no time at all though, and Moortown scored the best try of the afternoon in what seemed to be their last real attacking effort of the day when they worked the ball from touch line to touchline, imperiously cutting the scrambling Brods defence to pieces and neat interplay down the grandstand touchline saw the winger feed the supporting who crashed over for a great converted try.
Brods were attacking the Moortown lineout with some success, and they were next to attack when Matty Briggs made a fantastic break from the base of a ruck in his own 22, taking his team up to halfway. They then received another penalty for a petulant late hit on Matty Briggs which was kicked to the corner. The line out was disrupted, but Brods had a scrum and Loketi Manu was soon in again when he ran an arcing line, decided against passing to the 2 man overlap, and shrugged off the Moortown defenders to give Brods a 10-5 lead, which they took into half time.
The second half started with the sky darkening and the weather worsening. The Brods forwards were making metres against their significantly larger counterparts, though the backs were unable to fashion an opening of note. Moortown were seemingly content to kick any ball they had back to Callum Bacon at Fullback and Brods resisted anything reckless and controlled the game, pushing Moortown back time and time again. Rackstraw, Murphy, Root and Heap were all carrying well, and Ryan Harris was solid in the lineout giving the home team good field advantage as the rain continued to fall. Joe K was felled by the Moortown fullback in a last-ditch tackle following a midfield break from the destructive Tongan, and the game developed into one of ball control and possession for the home team.
Both teams struggled to fashion anything of note until Manu made another break in midfield, but once more Brods failed to capitalise as the heavens opened. Brods were also having some success in the scrums, but both teams were able to snuff each other out for a ten-minute period.
Michael Briggs was relishing the opportunity to run at the Moortown centres, and a break soon set them up on the front foot and a penalty was won when the Moortown defenders failed to release. From within the opposition ten metres, directly in front of the posts, Matty Briggs slotted a fantastic long-range penalty to put Brods 13-7 ahead with what was to be the last score of the day.
Brods continued to carry well and press the Moortown half, and whenever Moortown had the ball they continued to kick it to the waiting Callum Bacon who dealt with everything with seeming ease. Moortown could probably still be playing alone in the dark right now as I write this on Sunday night, and they still wouldn't have scored.
Ackroyd's team worked the clock down with clinical effectiveness, and the Moortown bench were reduced to shouting and gesticulating desperately into the miserable Woodhead conditions to win the ball, as their players simply could not prise it from the Brods miserly fingers. Jimmy Hodkinson was soon to kick the ball into touch to end the game and give Old Brods a well deserved victory, much to the obvious delight of the crowd. Moortown will have better days I am sure, but for me this was the highlight of the Brods season so far.
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