Wharfedale 14, Barking 34

Barking maintained their impressive unbeaten run and their push for promotion with a clinical hard-fought victory against a Wharfedale side showing far more characteristic spirit than a week earlier against Otley.

Winger David Vincent displayed the fleet-footed pace that has made him the visitors’ leading scorer in winning a foot race to the line to put the away side ahead. But Wharfedale levelled with a spectacular individual 40-yard burst by Dan Solomi.

Two tries at the start and finish of a ten-minute Wharfedale sin-bin either side of half-time proved crucial.

The visitors regained the lead with an Adam Armstrong penalty and capitalised on Chris Malherbe’s dismissal when flanker James Ngan drove over from a maul at the Wharfedale line. Armstrong’s conversion gave Barking a 17-7 lead at the break.

An early second-half try from centre Henry Staff after excellent work on the floor by outstanding lock Dan Lloyd-Jones put the visitors clear.

And two further late tries by Matt Heeks and Kevin Sorrel, both converted by Armstrong, gave Barking both a bonus point and an ultimately comfortable win.

The final score did perhaps little justice to a much-improved home display despite a consolation try from lock Richard Brown converted by Tom Barrett.