Still plenty of work ahead for Wharfedale (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Still plenty of work ahead for Wharfedale

5:20pm Thursday 14th March 2013 in Sport By Gordon Brown, Wharfedale programme editor

Wharfedale delivered the much-needed victory last Saturday, and a convincing one it was, but as results elsewhere showed the job of survival in SSE National League One has only just begun.

This weekend's first-time visitors Old Albanians are making a decent fist of their first campaign at this level, lying in sixth place.

When they visited St Albans in October, the Greens had to recover from an early 21-3 deficit to emerge with a bonus-point draw at 27-27.

Led by wily player-coach James Shanahan, last season’s champions of National League Two (South) make the claim of being the only side this season to win at the home of champions-elect Ealing Trailfinders, so they fear no-one.

But they have lost six matches away from home, and two weeks ago scraped home by a single point at Sedgley Park, where they conceded five tries.

The Wharfedale selectors once again name Christian Georgiou at full back, taking over from Adam Whaites, who moves to the wing.

Adam Howard continues at lock after his successful debut in that position last Saturday, and Tom Wareing comes into the starting line-up in place of the injured Alistair Allen.

Neil Dickinson makes his 101st appearance on the bench.

Wharfedale (home to Old Albanians): C Georgiou; L Davies, P Lucock, J Donkin, A Whaites; P Barrett, P Woodhead; C Steel (captain), S Graham, M Tampin, A Howard, R Rhodes, T Wareing, a Myers, D Solomi. Replacements: N Dickinson, I Larkin, J Mason, J Gough, S Horsfall.