Beverley can count themselves unlucky to lose 11-3 to league leaders Morley after a spirited second-half effort.

They were well on top for the whole of the second period when Morley, for the most part, struggled to hang on to a 6-3 lead.

Only a well taken, but somewhat flukey, last-minute try finally put the result beyond doubt. Considering the heavy conditions it was an entertaining game but for Beverley it was once again a case of so near and yet so far.

For 20 minutes they were all over the place.

Their discipline was poor, their kicking from both drop-outs and defence was poor, and they gave away possession at every turn.

After three minutes they were caught offside in front of the posts and Simon Bradshaw put Morley ahead with a simple kick.

Five minutes later he potted another when Chris Brant was yellow carded for killing the ball, and shortly afterwards would have added a third had his kick not fallen short.

It looked like being a long afternoon for Beverley as they struggled to get going while Morley played with freedom and vigour, moving the ball about with increasing confidence.

Yet, with half-time approaching, Morley for all their dominance had not been able to add to their score.

And suddenly it all became a different game.

Beverley at last got their act together and started to produce some enterprising passages of play.

It was Morley who now began to look a bit edgy, although it still needed some determined Beverley tackling to keep them out.

Despite being 6-0 down Beverley had every reason to feel confident when they turned round for the second half.

They immediately took the game to Morley and within eight minutes had reduced the lead with a penalty from Archibald after Morley's Michael Ash had disappeared to the sin-bin for persistent offside.

Just as Beverley had struggled for most of the first half so did Morley in the second.

The pitch became increasingly cut up in the heavy conditions with the result that play steadily deteriorated into a hard slog in the sticky mud.

Beverley had gone into the game without several senior players but their young replacements proved to be among Beverley's better performers.

Chris and Dave Brant in the pack had outstanding games and Anthony Spence on the wing tackled splendidly.

Freddie Oakey on the opposite wing also showed up well in defence and made the most of his only pass with an elusive run down the touchline.

It was a pity that Oakey, a potential match winner, saw so little ball.

Several times possession was kicked fruitlessly away in midfield when he and others were in good attacking positions outside.

Beverley's kicking generally, especially when going for territory, was fairly indifferent in comparison to that of Morley who kicked less often but to better effect.

Morley with the impressive Burke and Chamberlain also dominated the line-outs where Beverley struggled to win anything all afternoon.

Nonetheless, Beverley gave it everything in the second half with David Worrall leading the way in the loose play, and Frayley Hopa along with the Brant brothers making some powerful charging runs.

Increasingly the game became there for the taking yet the try that would have won it for Beverley would not come.

Mark Tarasenko and Junior Tupai linked well in midfield and Richard Bussey put in some useful bursts in the centre but in the muddy conditions it was not really a day for intricate backplay.

In the final minute when Beverley were still striving for a match winning score a loose pass in midfield went disastrously astray.

A hefty Morley fly-hack brought a scrambled chase for the Beverley line which Bradshaw won to touch down for the clinching try. A 6-3 loss might have been a fair result, but 11-3 was tough on Beverley.