We will win if we play as well as this – proud Wharfedale coach Feeley

FAR from dimming Wharfedale coach Jon Feeley's belief in his side, this thrilling one-point defeat to leaders Richmond has only strengthened it.

Trailing 22-7 after 61 minutes and playing uphill, the relegation-threatened Greens mounted a stirring final assault on the Surrey visitors that brought them two converted tries and almost victory and four, if not five, precious league points.

As it was, the losing bonus point narrowed the gap between themselves and Hull Ionians (in the lowest position of safety) from ten to nine points with four matches left.

But Feeley, who is nowhere near throwing in the towel, said: "My overriding emotion is one of disappointment for the lads because I felt they deserved so much more.

"I am also very disappointed with the referee's interpretation of the ruck – in both halves of the match.

"Richmond were very worried at the end, and if we play like that at Plymouth Albion next Saturday then we can definitely win.

"This match showed a lot about our character, and Richmond were lucky to come away with a one-point win."

Feeley added: "At half-time, I felt that we had a lot of territory in their 22 which was not reflected in the scoreline, but Cameron Hudson, who ran a great line for his try in the second half, Phil Woodhead, who had an excellent game with his energy, and Matt Beesley, with his carries, were a threat throughout the match."

Wharfedale, who lost flanker Josh Burridge to flu beforehand and centre Huw Morgan to a hamstring injury during the warm-up – Alastair Allen and 40-year-old Andy Hodgson stepping up to start – almost caught the visitors cold with their first attack down the slope.

Josh Prell's inside pass didn't quite go to hand on the right, and soon after the hosts went close in the opposite corner, frustratingly conceding a penalty at a scrum deep in Richmond territory.

The Greens deserved something from the opening ten minutes but instead went behind in the 11th, scrum half Sam Stuart making good ground from a tap penalty and, from the ensuing passage of play, prop Alastair Lyon scored, full back Chris Reakes missing the conversion on what was to prove an unhappy afternoon from the tee for him.

Wharfedale then made Richmond pay for having prop Sebastian Adeniran-Olule yellow-carded for punching an opponent on the floor in the 16th minute right in front of the assistant referee, lock George Hedgley forcing his way over seconds later for fly half James Guy to convert.

After a spell of good ball retention by Richmond and solid defence by Wharfedale, flanker Jack Allcock scored a second try for the visitors in the 29th minute, Reakes landing his only successful shot at goal out of five attempts to make it 12-7.

Replacement home prop Ali Wade made a surging run down the left but neither side could add to their score before half-time, at which point the Greens brought Dan Stockdale and Joe Altham into the front row.

Stuart again showed his sharpness in going for the Wharfedale line three minutes after the restart, losing the ball in contact when almost on the line, but the hosts could not make anything of a great break by flanker Jack Barnard.

Wharfedale No 8 Rob Baldwin was then yellow-carded, Richmond cashing in with tries by replacement Matteo Zambruno in the 54th and 61st minutes while the skipper was having his enforced break.

The injured Tom Davidson explained that the pitch sloped six foot from end to end, but the incline must have seemed like a mountain to the Greens with Richmond leading 22-7 with 19 minutes to go.

However, Wharfedale almost pulled it off, Northampton Saints-bound Beesley scoring a try in the 72nd minute that Guy converted.

Richmond lost centre Ronald McLean-Dents to the sin bin seven minutes later for a high tackle on Woodhead, and in the 80th minute, Hudson ran a superb line to score a try that Guy again improved.

Trailing by a point, Wharfedale received the kick-off and won a penalty that, if successful, would have brought them victory.

However, it was in midfield and the decision was made that it was out of Guy's range, so Woodhead took a tap penalty but the attack eventually came to nothing, referee Ben Blain blowing the final whistle, much to the relief of Richmond's director of rugby and head coach Steve Hill, who was screaming "no penalties" from behind the sticks that Richmond were defending when the Greens were making their last attack.