Wharfedale can consider themselves rather unfortunate to lose 22-20 at Nottingham after looking the better side for much of the game, writes Keith Lewis.

The only thing they really got wrong was their timing - coming back from being 14-7 down at the interval to take a deserved 20-19 lead with 10 minutes remaining only to lose out to a late penalty when there was no time left to respond.

The game was played in a climatic concoction of howling winds and lashing rain a few hundred yards north of the Trent. Perhaps it was not a classic encounter but it was an entertaining and uncompromising tussle which will have reminded the uninitiated around the North-South divide that there is more to the Yorkshire Dales than sheep shearing. You did not need green-tinted glasses to note the skill and tenacity with which the Dalesmen set about undoing Notts and in the dramatic finale the disappointment felt by the large Wharfedale contingent was more than matched by the relief shown in the Nottingham camp.

Wharfedale made five changes to the team which had beaten Reading at home in the previous league game, three of them positional. PC Walker was pursuing his enquiries elsewhere and so Mick Harrison came in at inside centre, nudging Jonathan Davies one place along the line. David Lister's heroics the previous week with Yorkshire had left him with a shoulder injury and so Neil Dickinson dropped back into the second row, John Metcalfe came in at loose head and Ian Peel switched to tight head.

Nottingham, recent winners at Harrogate 36-31 after trailing 31-3 with 20 minutes remaining, fielded nine of the side which lost 22-14 at Threshfield in September, including their influential captain and rugby administrator Alan Royer and two players who joined them from French clubs, lock Neil Hayward from Toulouse and centre Chris Atkinson from La Voulte.

It was Atkinson who opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a wind-assisted penalty as the Dalesmen faced the elements, but the visitors soon sounded their intentions with a series of belligerent raids into the Notts half. Half-backs David Whitfield and Dan Harrison were both prominent, accelerating through yawning gaps in midfield with the outstanding Greens' back row trio of Paul Evans, Hedley Verity and Charlie Vyvyan snapping at their heels like eager border collies. The front five were never far behind and Peel and Dickinson both threatened the Nottingham line before the Dalesmen took a deserved lead, that well-seasoned Wood, Dennis, carving a path down the middle, Peel continuing and when giant sequoia Vyvyan finally crashed over for a try it would not have been too surprising to hear someone shout "timber".

Adam Mounsey converted, but then Verity was temporarily halted by a piece of skulduggery which resulted in Notts lock Glen Delaney being yellow-carded.

Atkinson soon reduced the arrears with his second penalty and Wharfedale's Mounsey, Davies and hooker John Lawn all came within a whisker of scoring as the Greens poured forward, keeping the ball in hand into the elements.

Nottingham then upped the tempo for 10 minutes and took the lead with a try by their left wing Mark Holland and a further penalty by Atkinson. The home side might have gone further in front if Neil Heseltine had not been so secure under the wind-assisted high balls which were pumped his way. As it was the Wharfedale fullback turned defence into attack with a series of penetrating runs from deep positions. The half ended with the equally fearsome sight of Verity galloping 50 metres upfield with the ball after a typical rescue mission completed in his own '22'.

After the interval the outstanding Wharfedale pack continued to provide a steady stream of possession from all phases. However against a well-organised defence the ball never really looked like making its way along the threequarters. Now with the elements but without Lister's lineout capability the tactics appeared to remain the same and forward pressure brought two early penalties which Mounsey despatched to reduce the deficit to a single point.

With play confined to the Nottingham half a slip in concentration along the touchline then proved costly to the Dalesmen. Notts fullback Richard Byrom broke from defence and when his winger Richard Bygrave cut inside a clear path opened up to the Greens' line.

The unconverted try made it 19-13, but in two shakes of a lamb's tail Wharfedale were back at the other end where Verity's drive earned a five-metre attacking scrum.

A routine surge and heel delivered the ball to Whitfield and as the scrum-half dived over the whistle blew, not for a try but for the scrum having wheeled through more than 90 degrees. To Green eyes it looked marginal but the Nottingham pack had clearly benefited by disrupting Wharfedale's drive.

It took the visitors all of 10 minutes to regain their position and after a polished piece of Wood work had earned another five-metre scrum Vyvyan picked up and plunged over expertly for his second try of the game.

Mounsey's conversion put the Greens ahead 20-19 and as the electronic scoreboard indicated 10 minutes left tension began to build.

With three minutes remaining and the gale curiously subsiding Nottingham were awarded a penalty after a lineout offence and Atkinson's kick sailed between the posts.

Wharfedale made one brave final effort at the other end but the game ended in disappointment for them.

Tomorrow (Saturday), ko 3pm, at The Avenue Wharfedale play their penultimate home league game of the season against neighbours Morley. It is still unclear how the leagues will be organised next season so a full house is expected for what is a game crucial to both sides. Including this weekend all of the bottom five clubs have five remaining games.

The Wharfedale team is: N Heseltine; A Mounsey, C Walker, J Davies, S McManus; D Harrison, D Whitfield; J Metcalfe, J Lawn (capt), I Peel, D Lister, N Dickinson, P Evans, H Verity, C Vyvyan; reps S Allen, J Lancaster, J Ogden, D Wood, M Harrison, A Howarth.

Wharfedale's Adam Luccock kept up his scoring for Yorkshire Under 17 Colts, the left winger getting a try as the White Rose side beat Durham 25-5 at Bridlington on Sunday to book their place in the Northern Division Championship final.

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