'Hodge' try is pick of the bunch for Greens

6:51pm Sunday 13th April 2008

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Wharfedale 33, Blaydon 10

The Wharfedale performance in this robustly-contested National League Two match yesterday fell short of the champagne offerings of recent games.

Nevertheless, fans went home well-satisfied with another victory - the seventh home triumph in succession - and savouring memories of some really very good parts of this curate's egg'.

Uppermost must be the vintage Hodge' try, the Greens' third, which came at a crucial stage in the proceedings.

Just 14-10 in arrears at the interval, Blaydon tore at the Greens' defence from the restart, pinning the hosts inside their 22 for fully 12 minutes.

Several times in this torrid period, it seemed they must score, but somehow the Dalesmen held out.

The siege was suddenly lifted by a long hack downfield by Mark Bedworth. The visitors survived a melee on their line, but the tide had turned. Now, it was Wharfedale calling the shots.

In the 53rd minute, a Blaydon scrum was turned and, from the re-set, the ball was whipped out towards Andy Hodgson in centrefield on the Blaydon 22.

The pass was to his feet, but he collected cleanly. Then, from a standing start and facing a defence that was poised and waiting, Hodgson weaved his way through four attempted tackles to touch down - surely the Greens' individual try of the season.

Blaydon, who made the expected stern fight of things throughout, will probably feel hard done by the ultimate margin of their defeat.

However, they know that the lack of discipline that coloured their enthusiastic approach, and irritated referee Mark Wilson into waving yellow cards at substitute prop Paul Winter and centre Adam Dehaty in the first half, and lock David Guthrie (the Blaydon skipper) midway through the second, contributed significantly to their downfall.

The Crows began the match in full flight, with their powerful pack making regular ground in driving mauls, and it was no surprise when they converted a five-metre line-out into a pushover try for flanker Andrew Wright in the eighth minute.

The Greens responded strongly and repaid Blaydon with interest in the 15th minute, Andy Baggett converting lock David Lister's mauled score.

Play swung from end-to-end until a splendid left-wing move, launched by winger Simon Horsfall, and continued by Bedworth and scrum half James Doherty, found Adam Whaites, at speed (39), and the full back touched down under the posts, leaving a routine conversion for Baggett.

A minute later, the good work was mostly undone. Bedworth's penalty fell short of touch, the ball was returned by left winger Andrew Fenby, a fumble gifted the ball to Blaydon, and centre Martin Shaw had a clear run-in to the line.

The conversion was missed, but the game was on a knife-edge at the break.

Hodgson's try, opening up a two-score margin, clearly lifted the Greens, who dominated the final quarter.

Tries by hooker Gavin Hindle (66) and Doherty, in added time - the latter converted by Bedworth - tied up the result.

In the final minutes, fans watched anxiously as Horsfall received lengthy attention on the pitch before being stretchered off and taken to hospital with a neck injury.

Signs were hopeful, however, that the damage would not prove to be serious.

Wharfedale: A Whaites; A Hodgson, C Malhrbe, M Bedworth, S Horsfall (D Charnley 78), A Baggett (L Gray 62), J Doherty; T Horner (P Altham 80), G Hindle, C Steel, D Lister, A Capstick (O Renton 56), A Allen, R Lednor, R Baldwin