IN THE wake of Wharfedale’s first away win for 16 months, head coach James Doherty has confirmed that he won’t be pulling on a Greens’ playing shirt any time soon.

The scrum half, who turns 30 next month, had to put his rugby career on hold after the Yorkshire Cup final against Harrogate two years ago at West Park Leeds when he suffered concussion after a spear tackle by Sam Brady.

Doherty made ten appearances the following season, but, still suffering from headaches, it was clear that he was not right, and he opted to take 2016-17 off, becoming head coach with a view to perhaps resuming as a player next season.

However, the former Fleetwood, Cornish Pirates, Otley and Leeds Carnegie half-back confirmed this week: “I am okay rowing and running but I am still not right.

“I am not saying never again, but certainly not this September, and anyway I am enjoying coaching – certainly in the second half of this season – and I would never be a player-coach as it is just too much.”

Doherty watched his team complete their National League Two North programme last Saturday by notching a 41-34 victory on already-relegated Preston Grasshoppers’ artificial pitch, which was Dale's first away win in 16 months.

But, as is so often the case, it wasn’t at all straightforward.

Hoppers, who led 17-0 early on, had been pegged back to 20-19 by half-time, but the home side were 34-19 to the good seven minutes into the second half, only for the Dalesmen to see them off with three tries in ten minutes.

Doherty said: “We were second best for the opening 20 minutes but were dominant for the other 60.

“The problem was that we knocked on near their line and conceded a try and then an interception try, both early in the second half.

“But we scored some superb tries, and James Tincknell was absolutely outstanding at centre.”