National League Two North: Wharfedale 38 South Leicester 32

FOLLOWING the lacklustre performance at Tynedale, the Greens knew they had a point to prove – and how well they made it!

The teamwork and spirit missing the previous week was back in abundance and, while the visitors made the Dalesmen work hard for every point – and set up a nail-biting finale with a stirring fightback from 28-8 down to 33-32 by the start of the final quarter – the victory was well deserved.

An exhilarating first-minute try for the Greens, the finishing touch to a splendid move being applied by flanker Lewis Wilson, was matched ten minutes later by Leicester winger Gareth Clark and, with a penalty, Leicester edged ahead 8-7.

A three-try blitz, all of which were converted, had Wharfedale apparently sitting pretty at 28-8 on 25 minutes.

Firstly, prop Ian Larkin and then wingers Olly Cicognini and Ralph Wellock finished off sparkling moves that had Leicester reeling, and home supporters – especially those who had endured the Tynedale debacle – were pinching themselves to check that a first-half bonus point was for real!

However, it turned out that the visitors were not for rolling over.

By the interval they had clawed back to 28-22 via a penalty try earned by their powerful pack, plus a fine score from replacement forward Gareth Turner, and it was, most definitely game on.

The second half contributed less points, but lost nothing in tension.

Leicester fly half and skipper Ricky Aley added to his first-half penalty and two conversions with a second penalty.

Home full back Robbie Davidson crashed through for a try to restore a two-score margin on 51 minutes but ten minutes later the visitors’ pack forced their second penalty try.

At 33-32, and plenty of time left, the result was on a knife-edge.

No 8 Josh Burridge’s 68th-minute eased home nerves, but yet left the visitors within a score of victory.

However, at last the Greens had something approaching parity in the scrums – an area previously dominated by their opponents – and they enjoyed the better of the hectic closing exchanges before jubilantly greeting the referee’s final whistle.

Wharfedale: R Davidson; R Wellock, S Jordan, T Davidson, O Cicognini; W Lawn, J Guy; I Larkin (M Close 27), J Poole, T Asejevs, A Allen, E Ward, R Baldwin, L Wilson, J Burridge.