Wharfedale Foresters 27 Old Brodleians 2nds 17

MUCH-CHANGED Wharfedale Foresters side battled hard to secure another Yorkshire Merit table win.

Their early attacks were repulsed by a stubborn Brods defence until number eight Morgan Davies scored when the visitors lost possession in midfield.

A brief period of sloppy play and cheap penalties gifted Brodleians territory. A penalty and a converted try saw them take a 10-5 lead.

Wharfedale responded with phases of good play from their forwards and backs. The pressure earned them a penalty which they opted to kick into the corner rather than go for goal.

The move paid off when a clinical line-out drive produced a second try for Davies which made it 10-10 at half-time.

Foresters played into the wind in the second half and knew they had to control the ball, but it was Brodleians who were in the ascendancy until possession was turned over.

A couple of swift passes created the opportunity for lock Simon Borrill to gallop in from 60yds for a try which was converted by Jack Johnson.

The Foresters mobile pack had taken control in the set piece and from a scrum that was twice reset, Brods were driven backwards for Davies to claim his third try.

Thinking the job was done, the Foresters switched off for a while and allowed Brodleians to come back into the game.

They scored what looked to be a gift of a try with some poor defending which was converted to leave the score at 22-17 with ten minutes to play.

The Foresters still had work to do and claimed another try when their forwards pushed Brods back at a scrum and that man Davies claimed his fourth try.

The win was a deserved reward for a controlled Foresters performance.