Having taken the home fixture 124-5, the Greens must have thought the return match would provide another routine 5 points. Not so. The win was comfortable enough in the end, but a much-changed Manchester fought with spirit to achieve their best result of the season, and provided their guests with a meaningful contest after the weeks of inactivity.

Probably the most pleasing aspect of the game for the Greens was the return to competitive action after injury of Chris Malherbe and Chris Steel. Malherbe claimed two of our 7 tries, with Latu Maka’afi, Simon Horsfall, Rob Baldwin (twice) and Adam Mason also touching down. Mark Bedworth added 2 pens and 2 cons.

Report available in Match Reports.

Wharfedale, defending a 100% home record, found themselves on the back foot for the bulk of the first half of this keenly contested match. Tynedale, generally sharper, and quicker to the break-down than their hosts, were good value for their 15-6 advantage at the interval.

5-0 down to a 7^th-minute try by Tyne’s left-winger Hamish Smales, who plunged over after taking a snap tap penalty, the Greens saw little of the visitors’ half in the opening quarter. Their task then became much harder, with lock Alastair Allen red-carded for stamping in a maul.

A yellow card for Tyne’s No 8 Alistair Murray followed shortly afterwards, and centre Mark Bedworth slotted the attendant penalty (25 mins).

Three minutes later the dominant Tyne pack mauled to the line following a penalty to touch, hooker Joseph Graham claiming the touch-down, stand-off Stuart Hall converting.

The Greens almost managed an immediate riposte. Lively stand-off Luke Gray hacked on a loose ball from 30 metres out but, harried by 3 defenders, failed narrowly to reach his final kick ahead for a touch-down.

Hall and Bedworth swapped penalties in the closing minutes of the half, leaving the visitors happy with a 2-score margin.

The Greens looked a different team after the break, and despite being a man short – at least until Tynedale tried to level matters up late in the game, with substitute prop Kevin Showler and flanker Grant Beasley both yellow carded for persistent offending – had the better of the exchanges throughout the second half.

Had Bedworth had better luck with his 6 penalty chances of the half – succeeding with 3 – the Greens might well have turned the game round. As it was, with Hall confidently slotting both of his own shots at goal, the Dalesmen’s increasingly frenetic efforts ultimately earned just a losing bonus point – a scant reward, but which turned out to be sufficient for them to regain third place in the National One table.

Wharfedale: I Dixon (D Hall 77); J Tincknell, A Hodgson, M Bedworth, S Horsfall; L Gray, D Matthews; T Horner, G Hindle, N Dickinson (M Chivers 69), O Renton (R Rhodes 69), A Allen, L Maka’afi, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Tynedale: J Mock; P Cole, C Ingall, B Duncan, H Smales; S Hall, M Outson; J Williams, J Graham, D Dickinson, B Marshall, D Whitehead, G Beasley, G Rastall, A Murray.

Referee: Ross Campbell

Wharfedale, defending a 100% home record, found themselves on the back foot for the bulk of the first half of this keenly contested match. Tynedale, generally sharper, and quicker to the break-down than their hosts, were good value for their 15-6 advantage at the interval.

5-0 down to a 7^th-minute try by Tyne’s left-winger Hamish Smales, who plunged over after taking a snap tap penalty, the Greens saw little of the visitors’ half in the opening quarter. Their task then became much harder, with lock Alastair Allen red-carded for stamping in a maul.

A yellow card for Tyne’s No 8 Alistair Murray followed shortly afterwards, and centre Mark Bedworth slotted the attendant penalty (25 mins).

Three minutes later the dominant Tyne pack mauled to the line following a penalty to touch, hooker Joseph Graham claiming the touch-down, stand-off Stuart Hall converting.

The Greens almost managed an immediate riposte. Lively stand-off Luke Gray hacked on a loose ball from 30 metres out but, harried by 3 defenders, failed narrowly to reach his final kick ahead for a touch-down.

Hall and Bedworth swapped penalties in the closing minutes of the half, leaving the visitors happy with a 2-score margin. 

The Greens looked a different team after the break, and despite being a man short – at least until Tynedale tried to level matters up late in the game, with substitute prop Kevin Showler and flanker Grant Beasley both yellow carded for persistent offending – had the better of the exchanges throughout the second half.

Had Bedworth had better luck with his 6 penalty chances of the half – succeeding with 3 – the Greens might well have turned the game round. As it was, with Hall confidently slotting both of his own shots at goal, the Dalesmen’s increasingly frenetic efforts ultimately earned just a losing bonus point – a scant reward, but which turned out to be sufficient for them to retain third place in the National One table.

Wharfedale: I Dixon (D Hall 77); J Tincknell, A Hodgson, M Bedworth, S Horsfall; L Gray, D Matthews; T Horner, G Hindle, N Dickinson (M Chivers 69), O Renton (R Rhodes 69), A Allen, L Maka’afi, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Tynedale: J Mock; P Cole, C Ingall, B Duncan, H Smales; S Hall, M Outson; J Williams, J Graham, D Dickinson, B Marshall, D Whitehead, G Beasley, G Rastall, A Murray.

Referee: Ross Campbell

This was a match that ‘got away’ from Wharfedale’s point of view. Having been 15-10 down at half-time, they dominated the second-half, but only once broke down a superbly resolute – if sometimes desperate – home defence.

In the 73rd minute, with the score at 21-10 (a brace of penalties by Newbury stand-off Mich Burton, against the run of play, seemingly  having settled the outcome), Greens’ flanker Latu Maka’afi grabbed a loose ball and surged 40 metres before giving to his skipper Rob Baldwin to touch down by the posts.

Joe Ford, off the bench for the second half, converted. The score heralded a grandstand finish, with the Dalesmen setting up camp inside the home ‘22’. However, a series of scrums under the posts, plus line-outs close to the corner-flag, produced no further reward for the frustrated visitors.

After a quarter-hour of indeterminate play in the first half, Newbury went ahead with Sam Katz’ try, the winger having collected a fine hanging kick from Burton, who then added the conversion.

Burton and Wharfedale centre Mark Bedworth swapped penalties for 10-3, before the Greens equalised the score on 35 minutes. Centre Andy Hodgson inter-passed slickly with winger Dave Hall before touching down wide out. Somewhat perversely, Bedworth (who missed 3 kickable first-half penalty chances) slotted a fine conversion from the touchline with his most difficult shot at the posts.

The half ended with an undeniably ‘soft’ try by Blues centre Nick Scott, who broke through after a snap tap penalty.

Immediately on the restart, Burton cleared his second penalty, and his third success (55) gave his side an 11-point advantage that the Greens just failed to overcome.

Newbury: M Williams; S Katz, M Freeman, N Scott, H Beavan; M Burton, W Gasson; G Fiddler, P Fincken, C McGrath, D Hodge, F Pape, S Witcomb, J Hooper, E Jackson.

Wharfedale: I Dixon (J Ford 46); S Horsfall, A Hodgson, M Bedworth, D Hall (J Tincknell 63); L Gray, D Matthews; T Horner (N Clarke 78), G Hindle, M Chivers (N Dickinson 42), O Renton (R Rhodes 75), A Allen, D Solomi, L Maka’afi, R Baldwin.

Referee: Marcus Caton

The Greens got back to winning ways with a well-deserved 5-pointer. Quite amazingly, considering their first-half dominance of territory, they faced a 6-3 deficit at the interval. The scoring act was got together in the second half, though, and 2 tries, 3 penalties and 3 conversions by Mark Bedworth (25 points), plus tries from Luke Gray and James Tincknell racked up the convincing margin of victory. 

Report available in Match Reports

090307 Cambridge Match Programme

Cambridge maintained their challenge to the National Two leaders with this comfortable win, at the same time bringing Wharfedale’s recent run of success to a juddering halt.

Each side enjoyed almost total domination of one half – Cambridge in the first period, the Greens taking over after the interval. The marked difference between the teams was that the visitors had the firepower to make territorial advantage count, whereas Wharfedale’s repeated sweeping attacks, while promising much, broke down within yards of the Cambridge line with monotonous regularity.

A minute’s silence, in tribute to Peter Hartley, Wharfedale’s 1st team manager, who died suddenly during the week, preceded the game.

With barely a minute on the clock, Cambridge was ahead, via a Craig Evans penalty.

Wharfedale retaliated with a try (6 mins) from centre Chris Malherbe, converted by Mark Bedworth, but visiting hooker Matt Miles effected a rapid riposte, crashing over in the left corner 2 minutes later. Evans converted splendidly for the lead at 10-7.

By half-time the result was as good as assured. Tries from lock Rob Hurrell (20), after a pack surge, full-back Luke Fielden (33) and then flanker Dan Legge (40) (though the lead-up move featured a very forward-looking pass), plus 2 conversions and a penalty from Evans, saw Cambridge to a 25-point advantage.

Wharfedale spent most of the second half relentlessly probing at a resolute defence, but broke through just once, when Malherbe forced his way over in the left corner for his second try (57). Bedworth’s conversion matched the Evans strike from a similar position in the first half – but that, for all their endeavour, was all that the Greens could manage.

Cambridge had the last scoring word, with an Evans penalty (67) in what was a rare second half attack.

While Greens stalwart lock David Lister cannot look back on a victory to mark his National Leagues record of 313 starting appearances for one club, he will have enjoyed the generous applause from a grateful crowd in appreciation of his remarkable achievement. Centre Andy Hodgson’s 200th league appearance was also recognised.

Referee: Philip Davies

It was comfortable enough in the end, and Wharfedale deserved the third successive maximum 5-point haul that further eased the now fast-fading relegation fears.

However, having apparently made the game safe at 15-35 after 52 minutes, the Greens endured a jittery period in which Blaydon fought back to within striking distance with 2 tries – the first of which was a magnificent score by winger Andy Fenby, who scythed through the visitors’ defence from the half-way line.

With 15 minutes still to play, there were anxious faces among coaching staff and travelling fans. But composure was regained, and the remainder of the match was seen through without undue further alarm.

The home side began in lively fashion, and were first on the board with a 7th-minute try in the corner by their impressive No 8 Andy Smithson. The Greens’ retaliation was swift, centre Chris Malherbe going over by the corner flag just 3 minutes later, after flanker Alastair Allen had done the hard work. Mark Bedworth’s fine conversion from the touchline edged a 5-7 lead.

The quick-fire scoring continued, with home centre Adam Dehaty under the posts for Andy Baggett’s conversion (16 mins), followed by a Bedworth penalty and Malherbe’s second try (23), to which his centre partner Andy Hodgson provided a telling assist, leaving the Dalesmen ahead once more at 12-15.

Things quietened a bit after that, but with the Greens generally in the ascendancy Bedworth was able to clear 2 penalty chances (30 & 40) for 12-21 at the break.

Baggett gave the Crows  hope with a penalty soon after the restart, but converted tries from full-back Adam Whaites (48) and Malherbe (52), completing his hat-trick, stretched the visitors’ advantage to 20 points.

Whaites’ touch-down, in the corner, presented Bedworth with another difficult conversion kick. The stand-off cleared that one, then added the extras to Malherbe’s try – winger David Hall and Hodgson involved in the lead-up move.

Game over? Not quite. Fenby’s charge to the line (55) was a real shock to the Greens’ system, and they had barely recovered when Smithson grabbed his second try (65) following a pack drive.

A semblance of order was then restored, and justice – on overall balance of play – was seen to be done.

Blaydon: C Rayner; B Daniel, M Shaw, A Dehaty, A Fenby; A Baggett, P Phelan; G Fearn, M Hall; J Issacson, C Wearmouth, A Archibald, S St Bernard, S Riddell, J Smithson.
Wharfedale: A Whaites; L Gray, C Malherbe, A Hodgson, D Hall (J Gill 75); M Bedworth, J Doherty; C Steel, D Charnley (G Hindle 46), B Fear (P Hall 46), D Lister, A Capstick (D Muckalt 62), A Allen, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Two exceptional individual tries from Wharfedale full-back Adam Whaites in the final quarter of this pulsating match sealed a crucial victory for the Greens. Both of Whaites’ runs started from within the Wharfedale half, and simply ripped the Mounts Bay defence apart.

His second, 2 minutes from time, could prove to be massively significant in the National Two relegation battle, as it both secured the Greens’ try bonus and robbed Bay of what would have been a well-deserved consolation of a losing bonus point.

With the result of immense importance to both sides, the match was never to be a classic. The tension saw to that. But there were thrills aplenty, with every breakdown robustly contested (occasionally over-robustly for Andrew Vertigan’s liking, the referee issuing yellow cards to Wharfedale’s Rob Baldwin and Ben Fear, and Mount Bay’s Nick Burnett).

The Dalesmen clearly enjoy their temporary ‘home’ venue, at Giggleswick School. As in their match the previous week, they left the blocks at speed. 10-0 up after just 8 minutes, from a try by hooker Dave Charnley after prop Ben Fear made the telling break, with the conversion and a penalty by Mark Bedworth, they looked on course for another straightforward victory.

But Mounts Bay were not prepared to knuckle under as Southend did in the first half. Lock Ben Hilton finished off a determined forwards’ surge (15 mins). Full-back Dan Hawkes converted, and then equalised the scores with a penalty during Baldwin’s carded absence (36).

A 40-metre break by prop Chris Steel soon after the re-start promised a score, but he was brought down 8 metres out. The resulting furore, as the forwards fought for the ball, had Mr Vertigan again reaching for his yellow card, selecting Fear and Burnett as sample offenders.

Bedworth (51) and Hawkes (55) swapped penalties, before centre Chris Malherbe (58) and then Whaites (64) landed tries to open up a 10-point advantage for the Greens. The first came from a beautifully flighted cross-kick by Luke Gray; his opposite wing David Hall dived to collect the ball before flicking up a pass for the charging Malherbe to carry the final 3 metres to the right corner. Whaites, by comparison, had a good 60 metres separating him from the line when he claimed the ball but his speed and strength took him through 3 attempted tackles for an exhilarating touch-down.

Bay now threw all they had at the Dalesmen, and were twice within inches of a retaliatory try. The home defence held, however, at the expense of just a Hawkes penalty (73).

At 23-16 the visitors were hoping at least to hold on to a precious bonus point, but Whaites’ second scything dash denied them even that.

Wharfedale: A Whaites; L Gray, C Malherbe, A Hodgson, D Hall; M Bedworth, J Doherty; C Steel, D Charnley, B Fear (P Hall 47), D Lister, A Capstick, D Muckalt (A Allen 58), D Solomi, R Baldwin.
Mounts Bay: D Hawkes; D Ritchie, J Semmens, S Johns, S Parsons; D Sanft, G Goodfellow; A Flide, J Salter, B Pow, E King, B Hilton, F Cliverd, S Dyer, N Burnett.
Referee: Andrew Vertigan