WHARFEDALE coach Tom McGhee has hailed the improvement from his squad that has seen the Greens drag themselves away from the battle to avoiding dropping out of National League One.

They have lost just one of their last three games, with a 32-27 victory at Rosslyn Park last weekend all but securing safety, and McGhee believes his side have coped well with the pressures of a relegation fight.

He said: “That’s the measure of the squad. In that situation you can either look for excuses or you get the bit between your teeth and to a man, because it has been a team effort, they’ve stepped up their level of performances.

“We’ve always been about trying to get our performances together and in the last six weeks we’ve hit a good run of form and played really well.”

Wharfedale’s final home fixture of the season sees them hosting Redruth on Saturday, which will be centre Chris Malherbe’s final outing at the Avenue before his retirement – if he comes through a fitness test.

“He’s been a loyal servant to the club and he’s been fantastic for us this season,” said McGhee.

“Chris brings a real physicality to our game and he’ll be a big miss for us. I hope he passes his fitness test and then he can say goodbye in the best way possible.”

One side who have not escaped the drop are OTLEY but rugby chairman Paul Carter is focusing on the positives and remains upbeat about next season as they prepare for this weekend’s trip to Blaydon.

He said: “I am optimistic about the future of the club. The legacy debt we inherited has just about been cleared and, while we always want to play at the highest competitive level that we can, we will look forward to playing more local derbies.”

BRADFORD SALEM have a weekend away from league action ahead of their final match of the Yorkshire Division One campaign against Bridlington next Saturday.

Instead they can concentrate on hosting their annual Richard Birkett Memorial Game on Sunday (2.30pm), when a Bradford Salem Chairman’s XV take on a Bradford Grammar School Old Boys’ XV.

In Yorkshire Division Five, WIBSEY face the first of three away fixtures that will determine their own survival battle, starting at Nestle Rowntree on Saturday.