Coventry 3, Wharfedale 8

This SSE National League One contest produced an old-fashioned score if not quite an old-fashioned game yesterday.

A year ago this fixture produced 66 points in a nine-try thriller but this time round on a dry, still, grey afternoon at the Butts Park Arena, a single try in the final quarter was enough the settle the issue in the visitors’ favour.

And Wharfedale, whose victory was marred by the broken leg suffered by prop Chris Steel, thoroughly deserved their victory, which extends their winning run to four matches – a sequence which amounts to some real stability in this volatile and predictable division.

Though the Greens went scoreless for an hour and trailed for over half that time, they always had the measure of a rudderless Coventry side disrupted by a first-half injury to Skipper Luke Myring.

Wharfedale controlled possession and territory for all but a quarter of an hour at the close of the opening half, when they showed equal tenacity when called upon to defend.

They dominated play in the opening stages with a Dan Solomi try over-ruled, a Tom Davidson penalty sailing wide and Scott Jordan being bundled into touch just short of the flag after the one flowing movement of the match.

It was 33 minutes before Cov reached the opposition 22, when Mark O’Connor’s second penalty attempt nudged his side ahead.

But such brief conviction in the home play disappeared after the break as the Greens' mixture of driving forward pay, powerfully scrummaging supported by astute kicking kept them penned in the shadow of their own posts.

But a Wharfedale score stubbornly refused to come until on 63 minutes Tom Barrett, moments after appearing as a replacement, landed a sweet 40-yard drop goal to bring the teams level.

Lock Richard Brown’s corner try moments later precipitated a fracas resulting in yellow cards for flanker Aaron Myers and home prop Adam Parkins but, more importantly, the lead for the Greens. Wharfedale, despite Steel's broken leg, comfortably played out time, throttling Coventry within their own 22.

Three further assorted drop-goal attempts by Tom Barrett and Davidson sailed wide but kept the home side firmly on the back foot.

As delighted player-coach Tom McGee stated: “What Wharfedale are doing well as a group is finding different ways to win.”