Keen to measure this season’s performances and progress, coach Keith Young wanted this friendly match against a side from a higher division. It proved to be a stern test as the match was played with pace and power by both sides.

Having absorbed the early Didsbury pressure, Moor took the lead with a Martin Shelley penalty after 10 minutes. The visitors then went ahead following a move by the Moor three-quarter line who had spun the ball wide only for a long, high pass to be intercepted by the opposition’s left winger only 5 metres from his own try line and he sprinted the length of the field to score under the posts. What could have been a try for Moor in an overlap situation ended up with the visitors in the lead 7-3. Stung by this setback, Moor regained the lead virtually from the restart. Scrum-half Felipe Silva snapped up a loose ball and broke through the Didsbury defence before feeding Petr Stourac, who scored halfway out. Shelley’s conversion put Moor ahead 10-7, a lead they kept until halftime.

From the restart, early Moor pressure resulted in a penalty 5 metres out and this was quickly taken, resulting in flanker Nick Smith crashing over to extend the lead to 8 points. A snap drop-goal by the visitor’s fly-half cut the deficit to 5 points with 20 minutes remaining. This period saw both sides redouble their efforts as the sought victory. Ably led by skipper James McIntosh, Moor’s defence was the key as they contained Didsbury before making the game safe. Snapping up loose ball after a midfield tackle, the ball eventually reached stand-in wing Ben Tumata who forced his way over in the corner.

This well-deserved victory over a side from a higher division will hopefully boost the remainder of Moor’s season as they aim for promotion.