Plenty of flavour

Many of the ingredients of this match had the flavour and spice uncharacteristic of so many friendly filler fixtures renowned for their blandness, writes Ian Douglass.

New Brighton are having a fine season and they and Wharfedale have the distinction of being the only sides to have beaten Otley.

Conditions were ideal for the running game unlike the previous week and Wharfedale were first to impose themselves. Andy Hodgson made an elusive run, one of many during the afternoon, showing his capacity to drift past players seemingly immune from the tackler's grasp. Equally lively at the outset was Sam Allen charging through the defences like a lancer and also making a spectacular tackle on the touchline as New Brighton threatened to break away. Ben Whitfield always driven by the engine of his own enthusiasm also made inroads.

A try was always imminent and it came when Allen and Hodgson again featured to put Adam Mounsey over for a touchdown he improved. His goal kicking is now so consistent that it is easy to take it for granted. In addition to his try he collected 16 points from the boot, missing only one kick out of eight and landing a penalty from a distance normally at the outer limits of his range.

Wharfedale runners were finding plenty of space and the confidence to run through their repertoire was clear to see. And Jonathan Davies showed his power when coming into the line using his strength to break tackles. Once settled New Brighton showed that it was not going to be all one way and they hit back with a score from mercurial winger Lee Feurer and Paul Brett kicked the goal. A further period of New Brighton pressure was halted by a Hedley Verity tackle which is a trademark of distinction, Dave Lister drove upfield and the move ended with Graham Smith putting Allen over under the sticks.

Again New Brighton hit back, their driving maul being so effective that it swept all before it and from it Feurer added a second try with Brett converting to make it 14 all. Then an instant Wharfedale visitation to the New Brighton line produced some aerial dexterity from Paul Evans whose considerable bulk smashed through a rickety defence at the back of the line for a score.

Early in the second half a Mounsey penalty made it 22-14 but the Greens had yet to put New Brighton away. Lapses of concentration and a temptation to demonstrate individual skills at the expense of tight teamwork were clearly evident but the game as a spectacle had much to commend it.

After some slack tackling the visitors progressed upfield and collected a score with a hint of a forward pass the width of the Mersey! However Wharfedale went on to register three more converted tries interspersed with Mounsey's second penalty in a rip-roaring finale. The first try came from a pushover and was claimed by John Hartley making an impact within seconds of replacing Russ Buckroyd.

Another chance went begging after Neil Heseltine exploited a generous corridor of opportunity.

Gaps were now beginning to yawn. Heseltine continued to prompt and soon Allen was over after a tap and finally the visitors' defence was unzipped by an exuberant virtuoso try by Hodgson to round off the romp.

The game which saw John Drewery a young player with a rare appetite for the game replace Lister in the last 10 minutes had been a useful prologue to tomorrow's (Saturday) tough test at Bracknell, a team who have shot from obscurity fuelled by funds from England's Silicon Valley. Only four seasons ago they were battling for promotion from South West Two against Swanage the best team on the Isle of Purbeck. Nothing short of a victory is needed to put the pressure on second-placed Birmingham Solihull who have been feverishly recruiting as they feel the green heat on their collars. Directions to Bracknell's Lily Hill Park ground are: M4, Junction 10, A329(M) Bracknell, B3408 Birfield follow A329 Bracknell through town centre towards Ascot, turn left at Running Horse pub and the ground is at the rear.

The Wharfedale team is: J Davies; A Mounsey, D Whitfield, A Hodgson, B Whitfield; N Heseltine, G Smith; R Lancaster, J Lawn(c), N Dickinson, P Evans, D Lister, R Buckroyd, H Verity, C Vyvyan; reps D Harrison, C Ingram, S Allen.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.