Baildon 13 Wensleydale 12

BAILDON, who were second-bottom, and Wensleydale, who are pushing for promotion from Yorkshire Division Three in third place, both needed the win for different reasons.

The Jenny Laners had played well in the away fixture earlier in the season and the weather was acting as a leveller.

Wensleydale started strongly, with a bullocking charge deep into Baildon territory courtesy of pick-and-go drives, good offloads and excellent ball retention.

But Baildon weathered the assault and then turned over the ball, with two Nick Lister kicks pegging the visitors back in their 22.

When Matty Dixon won a penalty by standing over the ball, Baildon kicked to the corner.

The line-out was lost but Baildon managed to turn over more Wensleydale possession – this time through Chris Peel, whose opening contribution had been typically forceful.

Baildon coach Robbie Hill had ordered his side to take points in the opposition 22 and when they won a penalty, Ollie Williams put the ball through the uprights.

The hosts now had the bit between their teeth and applied pressure via a dancing Tom Cluett, Harrison Strauss and Guy Price, while Luke Strauss was a source of turnover ball.

Still Wensleydale looked dangerous and when a Baildon clearance was half charged down, it fell into the hands of the visitors' full back.

Despite the conditions, Wensleydale managed ten phases, including sublime offloads, before they sucked in the last defender and crossed in the corner.

Adam Hewitt came on for Baildon, making an immediate impact by cleaning up some untidy line-out ball and improving ball retention around the ruck.

More Wensleydale pressure stretched Baildon's defence, which held, but a no-arms tackle in front of the posts gave the visitors a golden chance, which they surprisingly missed.

Baildon ended the half well, with Andy Magee putting in a tooth-rattling tackle and Lister having a penetrating run up the blindside.

The hosts picked up in the second half where they had left off in the first.

Their driving game improved and phases were strung together, although they narrowly missed a shot at goal when Wensleydale left their feet in a ruck.

When Baildon next got possession, they kicked through the flat Dale defence, only for their chase to be obstructed.

This time the penalty was put into the corner for an attacking line-out, which was won for Dixon to show great strength and composure and cross the try line.

The conversion attempt from the touchline was a ball's width wide and Baildon then rode their luck, fluffing two penalty kicks to touch and dropping the ball with scoring opportunities begging.

When loose Wensleydale ball was hacked through, there was a foot race and Hayden Peers slid over for a try to make it 13-5.

Nevertheless, Wensleydale looked ready to finish strongly but every Dale knock on and every tackle or turnover from Baildon was cheered by the partisan home crowd.

When a Dale player burst through a line-out, the visitors got away with a knock-on in scoring a converted try that put them only a point behind.

But despite the referee, who had a fine game, playing seemingly endless added time, a relieved Baildon hung on for a vital win.