WHARFEDALE have decided to abandon the safety-first approach as they battle to avoid relegation from National League One.

They are six points adrift of safety with six matches left but are tackling what is a difficult run-in with a positive attitude and a belief that being more adventurous might just be their route to salvation.

The Greens have trips to Hartpury College (currently second, on March 19), Plymouth Albion (fifth, April 9) and Fylde (ninth, April 23), and home games against leaders Richmond (April 2), Hull Ionians (11th, April 16) and Coventry (tenth, April 30).

But Wharfedale's coach Jon Feeley says: "The opposition are irrelevant as we are just focusing on what we do, and I have decided that the best chance of this young squad staying up is by throwing the ball around and making some bold decisions, and I believe that we have the skill-set to do that."

The weather may have worked against them in recent weeks, but they have lost four of their last five matches, and Feeley added: "What we were doing clearly wasn't working, so we have decided to have a real go, and I take full responsibility for that decision."

If they are to succeed, however, in what is one of their most difficult escape bids following 20 successive years in the third tier, they will have to handle the ball better than they did in their 30-21 home defeat against Loughborough Students – the team immediately above them in the table – last Saturday as their handling errors was as high as 14.

"We conceded three tries in the first 20 minutes and made too many handling errors, and that is not something that we planned for, but we didn't lose the game in the first 20 minutes.

"We were leading 21-17 at half-time, and the players deserve credit for that comeback.

"But Loughborough played the conditions better down the slope in the second half than we did in the first, although our line-out worked well in general."

Wharfedale, who hit back with tries by Josh Burridge, Rob Baldwin and Steve Graham in the second 20 minutes of the first half, have no game this weekend.

Feeley said: "I am going to watch the Foresters, who have a Northern Pilot League match at Harrogate (2.00).

"Hopefully it will mean I have one or two more players to pick from in the first-team squad."