SSE National League One

Wharfedale 12

Blackheath 52

AFTER shipping 50 points in each of their last two SSE National League One matches, it is not a big surprise that Wharfedale coach Jon Feeley has trouble sleeping at night.

A 53-26 defeat at Coventry was followed by a 52-12 home reverse to Blackheath, who were only a point and a place above the Greens going into the match.

However, Feeley's fitful nocturnal habits are only part of the story as the coach admitted: "I never sleep well at night – even after victories. It is a by-product of being a rugby coach."

After the reverse in the Midlands, Feeley had called for a strong start against the Londoners but they were again found wanting, Blackheath scoring a penalty try in the first minute and adding to that eight minutes later with a try by flanker Dave Allen from another driving maul.

Feeley admitted: "It was a marginally better display than last week but the two things that we cannot control are an overflowing injury room – I have half a National League One side watching from the stand – and our lack of physicality.

"The driving line-out was a clear area of their dominance, and by the time we had figured out how to stop it over half of the game had gone.

"We had ten minutes of dominance in the second half but where we need to go next is to turn that into 80 minutes per match."

The writing seemed on the wall early for the hosts as referee Philip Davies blew for that penalty try and Allen followed with a typical touchdown for that driving maul.

Wharfedale were being pinned back by accurate kicking downhill in the first half, whereas the home side's kicking in the second half was mostly aimless.

By half-time, Wharfedale trailed 33-0, Blackheath lock Tom Bason fly-hacking ahead when no-one was at home to win a foot race for their third touchdown after 26 minutes.

Then Geoff Griffiths got their fourth try on the half-hour, the referee awarding it after consultation with touch judge Chris Bennett, and fellow winger Richard Windsor put the tin lid on the Dalesmen's first half by intercepting an Oliver Cicognini pass for try number five a minute before the interval.

Fly half Alex Gallagher added four conversions and he scored and converted their sixth try in the 43rd minute, others following for Griffiths and skipper Bason, Griffiths converting the latter.

No-one tried harder for Wharfedale than their captain James Doherty on his 100th league start for the club, and at they were rewarded with tries by lock Simon Willet in the 56th minute and flanker Chris Howick four minutes later, Tom Davidson converting the latter.

The Greens lost hooker Ian Larkin with a shoulder injury after 19 minutes and his replacement Dan Stockdale after 50 minutes, while teenage back-row brothers Tom and Josh Burridge were sin-binned a minute apart in the second half – surely some kind of record.