WHARFEDALE, bidding to win three successive games for the first time this season, are hoping that last weekend's postponement hasn't derailed their momentum in SSE National League One.

The unchanged Greens, who are at Darlington Mowden Park tomorrow (3.00) – their ninth away game of the season compared to six at home – were victims of the weather at home to Esher.

"We were really keen to get the game on as we had won our last two matches and had spent the first half of last Thursday's training session putting the covers on the pitch," admitted Wharfedale's coach Jon Feeley.

"That was our fitness training but because Esher were travelling up on the Friday afternoon and staying in Leeds, a decision had to be made early, and three inches of snow had fallen.

"Even if we had been able to delay a decision until the Saturday morning, it still wouldn't have done any good as the snow had frozen by then."

The club have contingency plans for training at Upper Wharfedale School at the end of The Avenue, although the weather hasn't been bad enough to go indoors yet.

The Dalesmen defeated Mowden Park 32-18 on September 13 – the last time they won two in a row – but Feeley knows they are very difficult to beat at the Northern Echo Arena, where they have won four games and drawn one out of eight.

"We dominated the set-piece when we beat them earlier in the season, and used that platform to score our points, but they tend not to travel well and be a much tougher proposition at home."

One familiar face who will not be up against the Greens is back-rower Aaron Myers, who left Wharfedale during the close season.

"He hasn't played for them at all," explained Feeley. "He is still under contract with them but got a job to do with wind farming in Scotland before the season started and therefore hasn't been available."

After the deduction of five points for fielding an ineligible player, Mowden Park are third from bottom but are only four points behind Wharfedale in tenth.

They had a difficult start to the season, winning only three of their first 11 matches, but have recently shown their potential with a huge win at Tynedale and another 50-point victory at home to Blackheath.

This is the Dalesmen's last first-team game of the year as they are not in action again until Saturday, January 3 at home to Tynedale (2.00).

However, the Foresters have their traditional match against North Ribblesdale on Boxing Day, this time at The Avenue (2.00).

Wharfedale (at Darlington Mowden Park): T Prell; L Davies, C Hudson, T Davidson, O Cicognini; J Guy, J Doherty; C Steel, D Stockdale, J Armstrong, A Howard, A Powell, D Solomi, J Burridge, J Barnard. Replacements: M Beesley, I Larkin, J Altham, C Howick, H Morgan.