Tynedale 23, Wharfedale 20

Wharfedale’s SSE National League One travels for the season ended in disappointing late defeat at Tynedale Park.

The visitors twice held significant leads at 12-0 after only ten minutes play and again at 20-13 immediately after the break, only to be overhauled during the second period by an ultimately more focused home side.

And once they had drawn level, the fine game management and excellently directed kicking of home fly half Joel Hodgson kept the Greens increasingly at bay until his 76th-minute penalty produced the killer punch.

Things had started brightly enough for Wharfedale with flowing early pressure ending with a penalty to the flag, a powerful forward drive and hooker Steve Graham forcing himself over at the posts, with Tom Barrett adding the simple conversion.

Minutes later a rampant and confident Wharfedale were quick to recycle after a scything long Andy Hodgson break and quick hands from James Druce put fellow winger Simon Horsfall over in the corner.

The home side countered with a Hodgson penalty and then a well-worked neat inside feed to put winger Alan Rodgers over for a converted try.

But Dan Solomi’s short drive from the back of a powerful maul extended the Greens' advantage, even though a further Hodgson penalty pegged them back to 17-13 at the break.

That Barrett’s penalty was to remain his side’s sole further score was to begin with as much to do with Wharfedale’s failure to press home some promising moments of telling position created by a number of penetrating individual breaks.

Runs right through the heat of the home defence by James Tincknell, James Holland, Barrett and Solomi with the potential for scores were frittered away by poor support or poorer recycled distribution.

Let off the hook to some extent, Tynedale, sensing a chance to end their dismal eight-match losing run, grew in confidence.

Their play became tighter, their focus keener and their control as precise as the Greens was imprecise.

Hodgson ruled the show with targeted kicking that kept his side on the attack and a slick short pass saw Tynedale centre Chris Harris burst through the middle to score under the posts for Hodgson to convert to level at 20-20.

A moment of individual counter-attacking brilliance from replacement full back Lloyd Davies, who scythed through the whole side only to be tackled out at the flag almost recued Wharfedale but the almost inevitable final penalty gave the home side a well-deserved victory.