Success in Royal Berkshire will be crucial if Wharfedale's promotion ambitions are to be sustained and although the first leg of the treble was achieved at Sonning sterner tests lie in wait at Bracknell and Newbury, writes Ian Douglass.

The game saw two notable Wharfedale achievements, Hedley Verity playing in his 63rd consecutive league match to pass the previous club record of Dennis Wood and Adam Mounsey setting a new club points record in a league match with 29, eclipsing Les Ingham's 24 in 1992 against Sandbach when he scored six tries which were then worth four points.

Wharfedale, who remain third in the table, began in languid fashion and were accordingly subjected to the best that Reading could throw at them for much of the first half.

They were not incarcerated in a Reading gaol for as long as Oscar Wilde but excursions out of defence were fitful and ill sustained. Perhaps the balmy air of the Thames Valley compared with the rarified ozone of the Dales explained a lack of fizz.

Reading made the most of their opportunities. A good scrummaging platform gave scrum-half Steve Pearce and No 8 Ben Martin scope in concert with lively tighthead prop Andy Collins to create some ruck- producing crash runs in the centre.

A penalty miss was followed by another penalty with Pearce taking a quick tap and flanker Travis Barker going over under the posts, Mark Richards converting.

Once more the inestimable value of the tackling of Andy Hodgson and Verity helped repulse the eager waves of Reading attacks. Relief was sometimes at hand from the boot of Jonathan Davies, Hodgson and Neil Heseltine. The latter although not a fly-half by instinct or inclination is the epitome of loyalty to the cause and adaptability as game by game he enhances his technique.

Both sides missed penalty kicks before Mounsey was on target and then Wharfedale produced their first concerted attack.

Verity and Russ Buckroyd searched for a soft underbelly but were denied as a stray pass was intercepted with Hodgson making an all-important tackle in his own '22' after a 60-metre backtrack.

Reading remained full of running and arrived at the interval with a 14-3 lead, their second try being again initiated by Martin. There followed a swift incursion by the fullback and then winger Ayoola Erinie cut back towards the posts with wrong-footed tacklers grasping at fresh air to touch down and Richards converted.

However there was a transformation within an instant of the restart. There was the old routine of a Buckroyd kick followed by a lineout, a catch by Paul Evans, a weaving run by Dave Lister, a resultant penalty and Mounsey's sweet boot doing the rest.

No longer were the pride of the Dales slumbering as though suffering the effects of a big game warden's tranquiliser dart in the Serengeti.

Reading may be the home of the Museum of Rural Life but from now on most of the contemporary country power was decidedly Dalesbred.

Verity with his amazing strength and ability to contort his body turned over a maul while on the retreat and squeezed out the ball. Hodgson was up in the line nostrils flared with the scent of victory and his kick and chase and touchdown gave the travelling Barmy Army their first chance for a hoot and a holler. And Mounsey converted to cut the deficit to just one point.

Then Davies attempted an audacious penalty which fell just short. However Reading were never a spent force and a clean break in the centre created temporary havoc before a supreme relieving kick by Heseltine rolled into touch in the Reading '22'.

A Green back move which meandered innocuously right was rectified by Hodgson's switch of direction before Dave Whitfield put Mounsey speeding over at the flag to make it 18-14. Then B and D Whtifield a firm of loss adjusters combined for another impressive move.

The lineouts were going well and especially featured Evans getting through the labours of Hercules in the crucible of forward action. Verity seized the ball from one such catch and writhed and gyrated over the line only to be denied.

However Reading were penned in, made an error trying to run the ball under their own posts and Mounsey notched up the three points.

By now the Green predators were pilfering a plethora of possession from all phases, but it was a mistake by Reading playing desperate catch-up that gifted a try to Mounsey which he wrapped up with a conversion.

Another two Mounsey penalties extended the lead to 34-14, but the Reading penchant for refusing to give in was illustrated by an excellent final try.

A quick tap was taken, their ubiquitous No 8 came into the move and a searing run by winger James Warren with a classic inside outside swerve saw him round under the posts, Richards converting.

Despite this jewel there was no doubt that the advertising hoardings might have proclaimed Huntley and Palmer biscuits but most of the crackers were coming from Wharfedale.

And a final riposte produced Hodgson's second try after Buckroyd had laid on one of his sublime scoring passes. Hodgson has now scored in four successive matches.

Wharfedale: J Davies; A Mounsey, A Hodgson, D Whitfield, B Whitfield; N Heseltine; G Smith, R Lancaster (N Dickinson 50), J Lawn (capt), C Ingram, D Lister, P Evans, R Buckroyd, C Vyvyan, H Verity.

Reading: M Richards; J Warren, P Bouland, R Stewart, A Erinie; J Costeloe, S Pearce; M Johnson, S Perkin, A Collins, M Vatcher, R Dow, G Sparks, T Barker, B Martin.

Referee: R Merloo, RFU

Other National One results were: Camberley 17 Harrogate 28; Fylde 44 Blackheath 8; Newbury 22 Bracknell 21; Otley 44 Lydney 17; Preston Grasshoppers 6 Birmingham Solihull 26; Rosslyn Park 40 Nottingham 7.

Preston Grasshoppers had been fancied to do the Greens a favour by derailing Birmingham Solihull at Lighfoot Green but the city once famous for its steamrollers keeps on flattening aspirations.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Fylde visit The Avenue having beaten Wharfedale in a desultory encounter at home but they will face a Green team now firing on all cylinders and Michael Harrison and Peter Hartley fully deserve being joint Jewson coach of the month for National One for December.

The Wharfedale team for Saturday, ko 2.15 pm, is: J Davies; A Mounsey, A Hodgson, D Whitfield, B Whitfield; N Heseltine, G Smith; C Ingram, J Lawn (capt), N Dickinson, D Lister, P Evans, R Buckroyd, H Verity, C Vyvyan; reps D Harrison, S Allen, R Lancaster.

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