The clear implications of this defeat mean that Morpeth need to win one of their last 2 league games,away to Old Brodliens and home to Crossleyians to ensure league safety.This was a game where Morpeth deserved something positive but a mixture of poor execution and decision making proved their undoing against a spritely Northern outfit who always looked lively.
It was a bone hard pitch that greeted the 2 sides,and after early Northern pressure it was the home side that took the league through a simple penalty from Jinks after 8 minutes.The lead was shortlived and a poor restart allowed Northern an equalising 3 points.Both sides then swapped penalties before Jinks took Morpeth into the lead with a further score from his trusty left boot.It looked as though Morpeth perhaps undeservedly were going to the interval in the lead,but increasing Northern pressure saw a score from an attacking lineout which was expertly converted to give Northern the lead at the interval.
Morpeth then took hold of the game Sims kicked ahead and gathered to put pressure on the opposition allowing another Jinks penalty to make the score 13-12 to Northern who immediately responded with 3 points of their own to make it 16-12.
For almost the remainder of the half Morpeth played the game with 14 men,due to sin binnings.Firstly Mooney and then crucially Defty at a time Morpeth were under the posts in a try scoring position some 5 metres out.
Northern were able to score another try from an attacking lineout but the home side really stepped up their game,a restored Mooney with a storming run and then Lynas running almost the length of the field came so close to scoring,and then cruely Northern broke away for a try in the very last move of the game.