Erratic Dale still pick up a maximum (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Erratic Dale still pick up a maximum

7:12pm Sunday 4th March 2007 in Sport By Sports Desk

Barking 18, Wharfedale 52

Facing a side already resigned to relegation (this result confirmed it will be Division Three South rugby for Barking next season), Wharfedale did all that was needed to ensure a maximum five-point haul and cement their own top-half position in National League Two.

Despite the comfortable margin of victory, the Greens' performance was erratic in the extreme.

Excellent attacking spells, with several quality tries among the seven they collected (all converted), were interspersed with casual periods when chances - some looking more straightforward than the ones that were turned into points - were wasted.

To be fair to the Dalesmen, they must have been affected by the unreal end-of-term' atmosphere engendered by their opponents.

Barking, playing with understandable abandon, ran everything from all parts of the ground.

Wharfedale were often forced back on defence but could then pick their moments to exploit the huge gaps that regularly appeared in the Essex team's midfield.

For 15 minutes, the two sides somehow contrived to keep the game scoreless but once Mark Bedworth had set the scoreboard moving with a penalty, the points began to flow.

Full back Neil Baggett crossed in the 16th minute and his opposite number Harry Bryan opened Barking's account with a penalty two minutes later, and went on to claim all 11 of his side's first-half points, adding an unconverted try (30 minutes) and another penalty (38 minutes).

Meantime, the Greens were keeping nicely ahead with tries from Chris Malherbe (23 minutes) and Bedworth (35 minutes) and turned round leading 24-11.

After the break, winger James Hutchinson (48 minutes) and Malherbe again (62 minutes) touched down before home flanker Rob Batho, returning from a lengthy injury absence, replied for Barking five minutes later.

Colt Steve Moon, on for Bedworth for the final 25 minutes, made an impressive showing, capped by tries in the 78th and 80th minutes.

He could justifiably claim the first as his own' fine score - and was sharply in support to finish off Malherbe's break for the second.

Malherbe obviously felt that as he'd done the work for that try he ought to have something to show. So he drop-kicked the conversion. It was that sort of game, really.

The other conversions were shared by Bedworth (4) and Moon (2).