NATIONAL LEAGUE TWO NORTH

Wharfedale 20

Hinckley 33

A STRONG performance from Hinckley saw break their losing run on the road and take five points from Wharfedale in a 33-20 victory at the Avenue on Saturday.

They were too strong for a sometimes lacklustre Wharfedale team, who only started playing in the last quarter of the game.

Even when the visitors were reduced to 13 their defence kept Wharfedale out.

Wharfedale did start well but mistakes let Hinckley escape from their 22. Hinckley could not make progress despite going through the phases.

When they had the ball in midfield they went through 12 phases without denting the Green line, the possession ended when Ben Sowery forced a turnover.

After seven minutes, Dale opened the scoring when Harry Bullough collected his own charge down to cross under the posts. Jack Blakeney-Edwards converted.

The next 15 minutes saw Hinckley gradually getting stronger and gaining the upper hand.

They got on the scoreboard with a penalty try awarded when a high tackle from the last defender stopped a try. Rian Hamilton was shown a yellow card for the tackle.

Blakeney-Edwards converted a penalty and Dale were soon on the attack again.

A scrum penalty led to an attacking line-out in Hinckley’s 22. The catch and drive was successfully disrupted by Hinckley and when the ball was spun to the right possession was lost and Hinckley ran the ball up to half way.

A good kick ahead led to a poor clearance from Wharfedale and Hinckley’s full back counter-attacked. Using the space of a very broken field Joe Wilson ran a superb line before slipping the ball to Jamie Skerritt who ran in from Dale’s ten metre line. Wilson added the extras.

Hamilton returned for the restart but George Hedgley was sinbinned almost straight away so Dale were still playing with 14 men.

Hinckley ran in another try from a Wharfedale put in at the scrum. The ball bounced to the visitors from the put in and they quickly moved the ball to the left wing.

Callum Dacey had the speed to outflank the defence and cross the whitewash for an unconverted try.

Wharfedale ended the scoring in the first half with an unconverted try from Joe Altham.

Sam Gaudie gathered a loose ball from a Dale line-out and burst clear. The pack arrived quickly and the talented Hinckley number 8 was pinged for not rolling away.

Blakeney-Edwards sent the perfect ball into the corner for a five-metre line-out.

With Dale camped on the line a penalty advantage was called. A phase later Altham crashed over; a missed conversion left Dale trailing 19-15 at half-time.

Hinckley then set up camp in Dale’s 22. From a scrum Hinckley scrum half Joe Glover darted over for a converted try.

Dale were not at their best but at 24-15 they were still in the game. Then Dale hit the disaster button.

A super kick return from Oli Cicognini got Dale in Hinckley territory but a long, floated pass was easily picked off by winger Dacey. Dacey shrugged off two cover tacklers on his way to his second try of the afternoon. Wilson converted.

The Hornets stayed in Dale’s 22 for the next few minutes but eventually a knock on and a couple of penalty decisions in Wharfedale’s favour took the home side into opposition territory.

Penalty followed penalty and eventually on 63 minutes Ryan Hough was sent to the bin. A poor line-out let Hinckley escape but they soon gave away another penalty.

Dale moved into Hinckley’s 22, and this time the catch and drive worked and Dale were driving to the line when it was cynically pulled down four metres short, resulting in a yellow card for Ben Marshall.

With the penalty count mounting Dale were kept away from the line. Liam Hamilton was obstructed after he chipped towards the line.

Hinckley’s Mitchell Lamb replaced Marshall in the sin bin. The following line-out led to another catch and drive and yes, pulled down short of the line and a penalty.

With 78 minutes on the clock, Dale finally got the score they deserved when Hedgley rumbled over, but it was too little too late.

Wharfedale: Mann (Woodhead 47), Hamilton, Edwards, Bullough, Cicognini (Wellock 67), Blakeney-Edwards, Gaudie, Altham (Asejevs 65), Sowrey (Stockdale 47), Ward, Leacock (Walker 46), Rhodes, Hedgley, Tyson, Houghton.