HARROGATE deservedly avoided a 'double' at the hands of their North Yorkshire rivals when they triumphed 20-15 at The Avenue. They had the edge throughout a fiercely combative encounter that referee Mike Hamlin amazingly saw fit to supervise without recourse to coloured cards.

It took just four minutes for late call-up James Tapster to make his mark, comfortably winning a race for a kick-ahead by centre Matt Duncombe to touch down in the corne. Lee Cholewa converted and in the 20th minute added a penalty. Now, fired into determined retaliation, they produced a gem of a score.

From the kick-off following the penalty Chris Malherbe firmly turned over the Harrogate catcher to regain possession. A frenetic attack resulted, developed in a dash by David Lister on the left flank.

When the Greens lock was held, the move recycled swiftly to the centre, via Oldfield and Pears, the latter releasing Andy Baggett on the charge for a fine try under the posts. Pears converted and the Greens were back in the game.

Gate quickly reasserted themselves after the break, however, and in a devastating five-minute spell built what turned out to be a winning lead.

Tries, neither converted, by flanker Mike Worden after an unstoppable pack drive (46 mins) and centre Jamie Barker (50) had the Dalesmen reeling.

A Pears penalty for off-side (60) narrowed the gap to 10 points, but though Baggett, Pears and Malherbe, in particular, regularly made ground with forceful runs, and Wade often required mob-handed attention to halt his progress, genuine openings were few.

With the clock registering injury time and Harrogate, sitting on a safe 10-point margin, conceding penalties with abandon, Lister charged through for a splendid - if simply defiant - try. The missed conversion heralded the final whistle.

Wharfedale: J Davies; S Horsfall (A Lovatt, 74), C Malherbe, A Baggett, G Johnston; D Pears, A Oldfield; P Peel (C Ingram, 54), G Hindle, N Dickinson, D Lister, O Renton, T Jackson (P Evans, 51), H Verity, B Wade.

Harrogate: E Smithies; G Sarjeant (J Newton, 39), J Barker, M Duncombe, J Tapster; L Cholewa, R Morgan; P Gabriel, M Erven, R Wilson, A Boyle, J Marston, M Worden, S Hobson, O Cook.

Referee: Mr Mike Hamlin.