WHARFEDALE Foresters have been praised for their part in the revival of the first team, who have won two of their last three matches in National League Two North.

Head coach James Doherty said: "I spoke to the second team last Thursday and told them how pleased I was with their attitude.

"It breeds competition for places, which is vital, and we had players coming back via the Foresters last weekend, such as Phil Woodhead and Adam Howard, who also got 40 minutes the weekend before."

Of course, the Green Machine are not out of the woods yet, but their 27-21 victory at home to Chester on Saturday, which followed their 19-12 home win over Scunthorpe a fortnight before, has pulled them out of the relegation places.

Wharfedale have taken 11 points from their last six matches to climb to 12th but as Doherty warned: "It is so very, very tight down there and it isn't an us-and-them league.

"Anyone can genuinely beat anyone else, although there are a couple of teams who have been very consistent, and we are playing one of them on Saturday (leaders Caldy away)."

Last Saturday's victory over Chester seemed like a classic game of two halves, with the Dalesmen leading 21-3 at half-time but only triumphing by six points in the end.

Doherty reckons there are reasons for that, especially as that lead was obtained by playing up the slope.

He said: "It looked like an opportunity to go on and get that fourth try.

"We had 40 minutes to get that and the bonus point but maybe we were nervy because of what has happened before this season, and I can half understand that.

"But the first half was one of our most accomplished 40 minutes of the season – we were very, very good and kicked the ball at the right time, ran more than we kicked and showed a good shape.

"Our defence was also excellent in the first half and while we conceded tries in the second half, we defended our line for six or seven phases and didn't let them go through the middle, making them score in the corner."

Wharfedale's in-form flanker Lewis Wilson is on British & Irish Cup duty for parent club Yorkshire Carnegie this weekend, so Alistair Allen is at lock on Saturday, with George Hedgley moving to the back row.

Four players returning from injury - Adam Howard, Elliott Ward, Phil Woodhead and Scott Jordan - join James Huck on the bench.

Wharfedale (at Caldy): H Bullough; R Davidson, A Hodgson, T Davidson, O Cicognini; T Barrett, J Bullough; J Altham, D Stockdale, T Asejevs, R Rhodes, A Allen, G Hedgley, J Burridge, T Whyte. Replacements: J Huck, A Howard, E Ward, P Woodhead, S Jordan.