NEVER in doubt! Or so the Wharfedale camp would have it after the side had ensured National Division Two survival on Saturday with an emphatic 27-9 derby win at Harrogate on Saturday, (writes Tony Simpson).

As expected, results elsewhere in the league meant that Wharfedale had to win to stay in the third tier of the national league structure, but the Dalesmen were up to the test and duly completed an fine conclusion to the season.

While pointing an accusing finger at some less than impressive displays earlier in the campaign, the closing sequence of four wins by the Dalesmen underlined that the spirit within the group has never been damaged and that adversity has welded the side together even more tightly.

That said, for coaches Peter Hartley and Michael Harrison the last few weeks of the campaign must have been hard to cope with given the penalties that would have accompanied relegation.

But though survival was in the balance until the final day of the season, the players never wavered in their self-belief and, when the crunch came, they were able to back that confidence with a quality performance.

"Motivation was never an issue for the crucial game with it being Harrogate - that took care of itself," said coach Hartley. "The problem all season has been one of getting the attitude right on the day, of not underestimating the opposition.

"The message for the future is that we need to be nearer our best more often - the gulf in our range of performances is too wide. In the closing weeks of the season we have achieved a better level of consistency through the whole of the game.

"But too often we've started badly and left ourselves too much to do to rescue the situation. That didn't happen at Harrogate. We were in the right frame of mind from the outset and that was crucial."