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Wharfedale progress to semi-finals
Wharfedale 34
Hull 12
Wharfedale achieved the expected victory in the Yorkshire Cup on Wednesday but their progress into the semi-finals was anything but smooth.
The Greens were never in any realistic danger of losing against their competitive North One opponents, who nevertheless made them earn every point, but they know that they will have to perform much better to have any chance of at last inscribing the club's name on the trophy.
Despite this off-key showing the Dalesmen have high hopes of making the final for the third consecutive year. In the draw, made after the game, they avoided the big names left in the competition, being paired with North 3 Beverley (away, next Tuesday), who had defeated Sheffield Tigers the previous evening.
The other semi is between Leeds Carnegie and Doncaster, victors over Bradford & Bingley and Rotherham, respectively.
Hull possess a huge intimidating-looking pack, and most of the opportunities the visitors constructed were founded on the forwards' work. The Greens generally held their own, but were never able to control the forward exchanges.
In the end, that didn't matter too much, as the backs had plenty of chances to use their superior speed on the break to threaten the Hull line. Just as well for the home side that chances were plentiful, for an uncomfortably large proportion was wasted by poor handling or over-elaboration.
From the outset, skipper Andy Baggett made clear that he was not interested in penalties to goal, and his confidence seemed well-founded when he ordered a third minute penalty to be sent to a close touch. The catch and drive - significantly - was held after a few yards but when the ball was quickly re-cycled, Baggett slipped a pass to Mark Bedworth and then converted the centre's crashing try.
A feast of points looked to be in prospect in these early stages but Hull soon showed they were not to be trifled with. Greens' full-back Adam Whaites delayed a clearance a second too long, allowing centre Dan Martinson a charge-down, and score a straightforward try.
It took an interception by Bedworth on 12 minutes, inside the home half, to halt Hull as they pressed forward. He made it to the 22 before giving the scoring pass to the supporting Baggett, who again converted well.
The game stagnated its way to half-time, with only two failed long penalty efforts by Hull, and one successful shot by Baggett (28 mins), from a dead centre 15 metre position that he couldn't turn down, to enliven the proceedings.
With a flimsy 15-5 advantage as the second-half got under way, the Greens went all out to settle the result. Penalties continued to go to touch and, on 43 minutes, the pack at last got the better of their opponents, hooker Gavin Hindle with the try after a slow but steady catch and drive to the line.
Baggett converted that one, and then his own second try (51 mins), after a lightning dash down the wing by Whaites had disrupted the Hull defence.
Three minutes later, the Hull pack was demonstrating its impressive power, shifting a maul from a five metre line-out to near the posts. No 8 Geoff Peak claimed the touch down, full-back Guy Martinson converting for 29-12.
That, however, was the last seen of the visitors as a serious attacking force but they defended resolutely to deny the hosts until injury time when, reduced to 14 men by their second yellow card dismissal (scrum-half Matt White; lock Darren Wick the first-half offender), they were powerless to stop Whaites, taking the ball at speed on the 22 and scoring in the right corner.
Wharfedale: A Whaites; C Malherbe, A Hodgson, M Bedworth (M Simpson 56), A Lovatt; A Baggett, J Doherty (J Gill 41); T Horner (B Titman 70), G Hindle (D Charnley 70), P Altham, O Renton, A Capstick (D Lister 56), A Allen, D Clements (R Lednor 56), D Muckalt (R Baldwin 56).
12:19pm Thursday 17th April 2008
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