Wharfedale led in this pulsating derby for most of the match, and had a four-try bonus point in the bag as early as the 43rd minute.

At 22-14 up, chances to put the game beyond Halifax came and went, and the home side rallied superbly to take command in the final quarter and surge to a 32-22 victory, the clinching converted try coming in injury time.

A brace of tries for Chris Malherbe and Mark Bedworth were fair reward for the visitors' enterprising attacking play, but Mark had an off-day with the boot, with just one success - the conversion of his second try - from six shots at the posts.

The Greens dominated the opening stages, pinning Hali-fax in their half, and could well have collected more than the five points for Malherbe's first try in the right corner in the 5th minute.

The home side retaliated with an excellent team try, finished by No 8 Rob Afoa-Peter-son in the 20th minute, converted by Ollie Marns.

But their 7-5 lead lasted barely a minute. The Dalesmen swept back on the attack, and Malherbe scored a carbon-copy of his opening try, winger Neil Baggett sending him on his way to the corner. Defen-sive errors resulted in a try at each end before half-time.

Bedworth crashed over for the Greens in the 32nd minute after a fumbled ball was poun-ced on by scrum half James Doherty, and rapid passing created the opening.

Three minutes later, Doher-ty's equally feisty counterpart Craig Aikman sold an outrageous dummy before plunging joyously over the Greens' line. Marns converted to make it 15-14 to the Dale.

The second half began as the first, with Wharfedale in command. Bedworth, put through by skipper Andy Baggett, grab-bed a brave try - needing treatment (as did his vain tackler) after colliding with the post as he touched down.

The conversion opened up an eight-point margin, which over the ensuing 15 minutes might have been extended on several occasions.

Halifax weathered the storm, and now it was the Greens that were under the hammer.

Penalties in the 65th and 70th minutes cut the deficit to two points, and the lead changed hands when a swift backs ended with a try for fly half Tom Eaton in the 75th minute.

And even a deserved second bonus point was snatched from them in injury time by hooker Will Kay's try, converted by Eaton.