Blaydon 16

Wharfedale 14

Blaydon added their name to the impressive list of lower-division sides that have knocked Wharfedale out of the national cup.

It is the first time that the National League Three North club have advanced to the third round - and the glory was well deserved.

The ultimate outcome of a fiercely fought, but sporting, match seemed improbable during the opening quarter as the Greens built a 14-0 lead.

From that point, however, it was mostly Blaydon - particularly after the interval when play rarely left the Greens' half.

The win was clinched with a late penalty - a puzzling award by Trevor Fisher - but the Greens could have no complaints about the result.

It all began so well for the Dalesmen. With the new-look back division showing exciting promise and the forwards punching holes through a nervous home defence, Alistair Allen's crashing try in the fourth minute which Jonathan Davies converted, looked likely to be the first of several.

A brief spell of home pressure was competently absorbed, then another try duly arrived in the 18th minute. Debutant centre Dan Snee pounced on a Blaydon error on the halfway line and sprinted clear to touch down under the posts.

Fly half Dan Clappison's 20th-minute penalty opened Blaydon's account, but it did not seem significant. However, the visitors' minds were certainly concentrated by the excellent first-half injury time move that ended with winger Simon Barber's try in the corner, cutting the deficit to six points.

The second half made uncomfortable watching for travelling fans. The Tynesiders camped in Wharfedale territory for the whole of the third quarter and much of the remainder of the game. Tenacious defending repelled the onslaught until the 67th minute when No 8 Charlie Roe muscled his way over.

What might have been a critical missed conversion left the score at 14-13, and gave the Greens hope.

There were a few forays into the Blaydon half, notably a smart break by Snee which ended with his inside pass being intercepted, but the serious pressure remained near the Wharfedale line.

Clappison failed with two drop-goal attempts, but made amends with a 79th-minute penalty. The Greens almost snatched victory at the death when a blistering run to the line by winger Simon Horsfall was negated by his foot clipping touch en route.