THE Greens' winning streak continued at the Avenue where they enjoyed a fine 27-12 victory over their neighbours Harrogate and vaulted over them into ninth place in the National League Division One.

The game was watched by the biggest crowd of the season and it was a classic of its type: dour but never dull and contested with all the fervour you would expect from a local derby with league points at stake.

The Dalesmen out-performed Harrogate in two key areas as their back row of Russ Buckroyd, Hedley Verity and Charlie Vyvyan hit peak form and the ex-international maestro David Pears showed what a master tactician he is, switching from defence to attack with ease and turning pressure into points with five penalties to add to a touchline conversion.

Someone said that it was worth the admission money just to see Pears in action - a comment which would not be lost on the unfortunate few who paid almost five times as much to see the current England players looking more like pomegranates as they finished red-faced against the Italians at Huddersfield last Sunday.

Harrogate arrived with not only the lowest points total in the division but also one of the best defensive records, making them a 'mean machine' in every sense.

They did manage to score one spectacular try but otherwise seemed to prefer to destroy rather than create with their No.8, former Greens' favourite Jeremy Hopkinson, in the thick of things as usual.

It was the Wharfedale pack, however, which played by far the more dynamic rugby, securing their own ball, winning turnovers, breaching the gain line, driving mauls and, on a murky afternoon, finally generating enough power to bring on the floodlights at a time when play was concentrating dangerously close to the Wharfedale line in the sector of the pitch illuminated by the council lamp at the end of The Avenue.

The Harrison brothers, centres Mick and Glen, returned to the Wharfedale side after missing the cup game at Nottingham through injury and unavailability. Neil Heseltine moved out on the left wing and David Whitfield came in at scrum half after missing eight games with a shoulder problem to become Pears' third partner in eight games.

Up front that resilient hardwood, Dennis, returned to the second row and Vyvyan switched back to No 8 for his 50th league game for Wharfedale in a pack with a combined total of 556 appearances.

The Dalesmen started at a cracking pace and took an early lead after gaining a lineout position near the 'Gate line.

Lock David Lister soared to collect, the drive came from the rest of the pack and Vyvyan was propelled over in the corner. Pears landed an impression conversion to make it 7-0 after just four minutes.

Pears delighted the crowd with some impressive line kicking as Harrogate responded but the Greens wasted several chances to increase their lead from attacking scrums before Hopkinson was penalised in a tackle and Pears goaled from 25 metres to make it 10-0. There followed a period of territorial stalemate as both sets of forwards made progress with driven mauls but, significantly, it was Wharfedale who looked sharper at the breakdown.

Pears landed another penalty but Harrogate reduced the arrears with a sparkling try after gaining a scrum directly from the restart. Quick ball set Caldwell flashing through a bus-sized gap and although Wharfedale winger Steve McManus covered across to tackle, the visitors' other centre Craig Reed provided the link to send his winger Chris McClarron racing over by the corner flag.

Half time arrived with the Greens back in control as Verity and Buckroyd linked to power towards the Harrogate line and an offside decision gave Pears a straightforward kick to make it 16-5.

After the half time nectarines, Pears continued to prompt and probe with a series of astute passes and chips as the Greens played enterprising but sensible rugby. There was the awesome sight of Lister legging it through midfield, ducking and weaving with the ball held characteristically in one hand, and prop Richard Lancaster was equally effective when the situation demanded the heavy roller.

Pears made it 19-5 with another penalty after the touch judge spotted some unnecessary trampling on Vyvyan but then, just as in the first period, Harrogate put in a strong 10 minute spell resulting in the award of a penalty try for what could have been persistent offside and their fly half converted to make it 19-12. Things might have been worse as McManus saved the day with another impressive cover-tackle.

Sensing trouble, the Greens tightened their grip with their second try after 65 minutes. Again it was Lister who provided the ball from a Harrogate lineout just inside their half and the resulting maul crabbed forward 20 metres before Buckroyd emerged to power down the tramlines and smash through the last line of defence for a tremendous touchdown.

Remarkably Buckroyd has only scored 11 league tries in 77 games since his debut back in 1987-88 but most have been special and this was no exception.

A minute later he was back i his own 22 making a telling clearance and as the Wharfedale pack dominated the final period it was Buckroyd again who combined with Vyvyan and hooker John Lawn to cause more havoc in the visitors defence and earn the penalty which gave Pears the opportunity to take his personal haul to 17.

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