Bedworth inspires Wharfedale to hit the win trail again (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bedworth inspires Wharfedale to hit the win trail again

7:30pm Sunday 29th November 2009

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Wharfedale 35, Sedgley Park 9

Wharfedale got back to winning ways yesterday following three successive National League One defeats with a thoroughly deserved five-point success, securing the coveted bonus point in the final action of the match.

The Greens dominated play overall, but a bizarre first half, in which Park made precisely three incursions into the home half, ended with the visitors 6-3 ahead.

On two of the Tigers’ visits, they collected penalties (first and 13th minutes), well-struck by full back Steve Nutt.

At the other end, despite almost continuous assaults, the Greens managed just a single penalty in the sixth minute by Mark Bedworth.

The fly half hit the upright with two more shots, and countless other scoring chances went begging owing to over-elaboration, shoddy passing or ferocious last-ditch defence by the Tigers.

The Dalesmen got their scoring act together after the break, however – though, oddly enough, Park saw a little more of their opponents’ half than they had in the first period.

In fact, had flanker Juan Crous not ignored a glaring three-man overlap in an attack that had, for once, ripped open the home defence when the score stood at 11-6, they might have clawed back into contention.

As it was, just Nutt’s third penalty was gleaned from that isolated surge, and after that it was all Wharfedale.

Bedworth, who finished with 25 points, had equalised the score with a penalty in the 44th minute, then started the move that led to a try in the right corner by full back Luke Gray six minutes later.

His third penalty success in the 56th minute cancelled out Nutt’s score for 14-9.

A speculative lofted kick fell kindly for the Greens as a defender fumbled the catch to let in Andy Hodgson, whose flicked pass to James Tincknell left his centre partner clear to the posts in ther 59th minute.

Bedworth completed the routine conversion and then rounded off a memorable performance with a pair of individual tries in the 70th and 80th minutes – finishing, and converting, both after his neat kicks ahead split the Tigers’ defence.

Wharfedale: L Gray; I Dixon (D Hall 76), J Tincknell, A Hodgson, S Horsfall (A Whaites 70); M Bedworth, S Cottrell; T Horner, G Hindle (M Chivers 70), N Dickinson (A Mason 70), O Renton (J Mason 76), R Brown, L Maka’afi, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Sedgley Park: S Nutt; R Wainwright, C Hall, A Craig, M Roberts (O’Hare 23); P Jones, W Runciman (P Urmston 63); G Roberts (A Livesey 76), R Oxley, N Flynn (A Duckworth 80), P Williams, E Norris, J Crous, G Dew (M Lamprey 62), B Lloyd.

Referee: Llyr Apgeraint Roberts

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