Wharfedale got back to winning ways following 3 successive defeats with a thoroughly deserved 5-point victory, securing the coveted bonus point in the final action of the match.

The Greens dominated play overall, but a bizarre first half, in which Park made precisely 3 incursions into the home half, ended with the visitors 6-3 ahead.

On 2 of the Tigers’ visits, they collected penalties (1st and 13th minutes) well-struck by full-back Steve Nutt. At the other end, despite almost continuous assaults, the Greens managed just a single penalty (6 mins) by Mark Bedworth. The fly-half hit the upright with 2 more shots, and countless other scoring chances went begging owing to over-elaboration, shoddy passing, or ferocious last-ditch defence by the Tigers.

It might have been worse for the Greens at half-time. Park’s 3^rd venture into home territory, as the first half drew to a close, had meaningful menace. For quite 4 minutes they camped inside the ‘22’, and it took resolute defending to keep them out. It could be argued that it was in that hectic spell that the Greens won the game. Had they gone even further in arrears the effect on morale on both sides could well have had significant influence on second-half proceedings.     

The Dalesmen, having passed that examination with credit, and clearly pumped up, got their scoring act together after the break. The Tigers were not ready to roll over, however, and had flanker Juan Crous not ignored a glaring 3-man overlap in an attack that had, for once, ripped open the home defence when the score stood at 11-6, they might have clawed back into contention.

As it was, just Nutt’s 3^rd penalty was gleaned from that surge, and after that it was all Wharfedale.

Bedworth, who finished with 25 personal points, had equalised the score with a penalty (44), then started the move that led to a try in the right corner by full-back Luke Gray (50). His 3rd penalty success (56) cancelled out Nutt’s score for 14-9.

A speculative lofted kick fell kindly for the Greens, as Nutt fumbled the catch to let in Andy Hodgson, whose flicked pass to James Tincknell left his centre partner clear to the posts (59).

Bedworth completed the routine conversion, then rounded off a memorable performance with a pair of individual tries (70 & 80) – finishing, and converting, both after his neat kicks ahead split the Tigers’ defence.

Wharfedale: L Gray; I Dixon (D Hall 76), J Tincknell, A Hodgson, S Horsfall (A Whaites 70); M Bedworth, S Cottrell; T Horner, G Hindle (M Chivers 70), N Dickinson (A Mason 70), O Renton (J Mason 76), R Brown, L Maka’afi, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Sedgley Park: S Nutt; R Wainwright, C Hall, A Craig, M Roberts (O’Hare 23); P Jones, W Runciman (P Urmston 63); G Roberts (A Livesey 76), R Oxley, N Flynn (A Duckworth 80), P Williams, E Norris, J Crous, G Dew (M Lamprey 62), B Lloyd.

Referee: Llyr Apgeraint Roberts