It was a beautiful October afternoon at Heaton Moor, with bright sunshine, barely a breath of wind and a large home crowd in attendance, boosted by the Presidents’ Lunch earlier in the day.

 

With several senior players ruled out through injury, it was an opportunity for some new faces to step up into the squad and show what they could do. The changes brought a fresh energy to the side, with the newer players keen to make their mark and prove that there was plenty of strength in depth within the squad.

 

Unfortunately for MV, the afternoon got off to the worst possible start. Some uncharacteristically poor handling in the opening exchanges allowed Heaton Moor to pounce, and within just 90 seconds the home side had crossed for the opening score. The conversion was added, leaving MV facing an early 7–0 deficit before they had really had a chance to settle into the game.

 

From the restart, things didn’t get much easier for MV. Heaton Moor secured possession and carried the ball back into MV territory, making steady progress beyond the 10-metre line with some fairly uncomplicated one-out rugby. The home side continued to build pressure, eventually forcing MV into conceding a penalty just outside the 22.

 

The resulting kick was successfully converted, extending Heaton Moor’s advantage to 10–0.

 

At last, MV managed to get their hands on the ball and began to make some headway of their own. A series of consecutive Heaton Moor infringements certainly helped their cause, allowing MV to work their way steadily up the pitch and eventually earn a lineout just five metres from the Moor line.

 

From there, MV showed exactly what they could do. An efficient catch-and-drive was executed well, with the pack keeping their shape and momentum as they drove towards the line. The pressure eventually told, and Abdul Mirza emerged with the ball to score MV’s first try of the afternoon.

 

The conversion, taken from close to the touchline, was anything but straightforward, but O'Shea made no mistake, adding the extras with an excellent kick to bring MV back into the contest at 10–7.

 

The game then settled into a period of back-and-forth rugby, with both sides exchanging kicks in what became something of a game of kick tennis. MV were beginning to find their feet, however, and took advantage of some misfiring Heaton Moor lineouts, with Andrew Clegg proving particularly troublesome in the air and securing several deft steals.

 

One such turnover provided the spark MV needed. With possession secured, No. 8 Tom Namgauds took matters into his own hands, powering through on a superb line break from around the MV 10-metre line. He made ground all the way to the Moor 10, drawing defenders before producing the crucial offload to Joe Wilson.

 

Wilson still had plenty to do, but once he had the ball in hand there was no catching him. He raced away to the corner to put MV ahead with an excellent team score. O'Shea again converted superbly from close to the touchline, putting MV in front for the first time at 10–14.

 

MV were now beginning to play with real confidence, and struck again from another Heaton Moor kick. Joe Wilson was perfectly positioned to field the deep ball, giving MV an immediate platform from which to attack.

 

O'Shea then spotted an opportunity and produced a clever switch of play, finding the ever-svelte stand-off Booth out on the blindside wing. Booth needed no second invitation, scything through the Moor defence and embarking on a 50-metre run-in to the line.

 

The conversion narrowly missed, but MV had scored again and extended their advantage to 10–19.

 

At this point, however, the momentum swung firmly back in Heaton Moor's favour. The home side began to make good ground through some direct, powerful running, putting MV under increasing pressure and eventually earning a penalty.

 

Moor opted to take the points, but the first attempt at goal went wide, leaving the score unchanged at 10–19.

 

The missed opportunity did little to deter the home side, who continued to come forward through more direct running. Another penalty followed, this time from a much more favourable position and almost directly in front of the uprights. There was no mistake with this one, and the kick was dispatched with ease on the stroke of half-time.

 

The whistle soon followed, with MV heading into the break holding a slender 13–19 lead.

 

The second half continued in much the same fashion as the first had finished, with Heaton Moor immediately putting MV under pressure. For much of the opening 15 minutes, play was concentrated around the MV 22 as Moor looked to close the gap.

 

MV's defence, however, stood firm. Newcomer Tom Reed was particularly impressive, throwing himself into the defensive effort and helping to keep the increasingly determined Moor attack at bay.

 

Then, against the run of play, MV finally managed to turn defence into attack. A quick transition saw the visitors work their way into Moor territory, where they were awarded a penalty just inside the Heaton Moor half.

 

With a chance to relieve the pressure and put some daylight back between the sides, MV opted for the posts. The kick was struck well and sailed through the uprights, extending the visitors' lead by three points to 13–22.

 

Thereafter, both sides enjoyed periods of sustained pressure as the game continued to ebb and flow. MV were beginning to find some joy with some strong, direct carries, steadily tightening the Moor defence and forcing them to commit more players to the breakdown.

 

Eventually, the pressure told and Heaton Moor were forced to clear their lines. The kick, however, was superbly fielded by MV and returned across the width of the pitch, catching the Moor defence on the back foot.

 

With space opening up on the opposite flank, Soliú needed no second invitation. He gathered the ball and, with some lovely footwork to evade the covering defenders, raced into the corner for another excellent counter-attacking score.

 

The conversion was narrowly missed, leaving the score at 13–27.

 

Heaton Moor responded quickly from the restart. A clever switch in play allowed them to exploit an under-defended blindside, catching MV short of numbers and creating the space needed to break through.

 

The home side capitalised on the opportunity, crossing for an unconverted try to bring themselves right back into the contest at 18–27.

 

MV looked to respond in kind, with their superior lineout continuing to provide an excellent platform. They worked their way back into the Heaton Moor 22 and began to apply sustained pressure, with a couple of important lineouts offering a real opportunity to put the game to bed.

 

Unfortunately, on both occasions, unforced errors at the lineout let Moor off the hook. What could have been a chance to build pressure and potentially extend MV's lead instead allowed the home side to relieve the pressure and keep themselves firmly in the contest.

 

To MV's dismay, the game continued to ebb and flow between the two 22s, with neither side able to establish a decisive foothold. Then, somewhat against the run of play, Heaton Moor found the breakthrough they were looking for.

 

A powerful break from deep saw the Moor attack surge the length of the field, catching MV on the back foot. Their centre finished the move under the posts, giving the kicker the simplest of conversion opportunities.

 

The conversion was duly added, bringing Moor to within a single score at 25–27 and setting up a tense finish.

 

The pressure was now firmly on, and perhaps in trying to force the game rather than simply managing it, MV began to compound their own problems. A short kick-off presented Moor with the opportunity to take a quick tap from the centre spot and immediately put MV under pressure.

 

MV responded with some determined defence, and James Halsall produced an excellent shot to force a knock-on. The resulting celebrations were perhaps a little too enthusiastic for the referee's liking, however, as a penalty was awarded against MV.

 

The players understandably expressed their confusion at the decision, but the protestations only resulted in a further 10 metres being added to the penalty.

 

It was a pivotal moment in the game. Fortunately for MV, the resulting penalty was missed, offering a brief reprieve. However, from the 22-metre drop-out, MV were unable to regain possession, and Moor once again turned the screw.

 

Eventually, the pressure told. Heaton Moor found their way over the MV try line for an unconverted score, completing the comeback and securing the win at 30–27.

 

A hugely disappointing result for MV after leading for much of the game, but there were plenty of positives to take. Some important areas for improvement have been identified, particularly in terms of game management and cutting out the unforced errors at crucial moments.

 

There was also plenty to be encouraged by from the new faces brought into the squad. Those making their debuts all made a good account of themselves and showed that they can more than hold their own at this level.

 

The attention now turns to next weekend, when MV welcome Fleetwood to McPherson Park, with an opportunity to put the lessons from this game into practice and get back to winning ways.