Wharfedale 22, Nuneaton 16

In a tense match, of crucial importance to both sides, each fighting for their National League Two lives, Wharfedale ground out the victory they desperately needed, and lifted themselves out of the relegation positions.

However, Nuneaton, sitting just one place off the bottom, ultimately made the Greens sweat for a win that had seemed routine in the opening quarter as the Dalesmen eased into a deceptively comfortable 17-3 lead.

By half-time, an exchange of tries had made it 22-8, and the main topic of discussion was whether the Greens could add an important try bonus' to victory points.

In the end, they were quite happy to leave the field with four points to Nuneaton's one, having rarely looked likely to add to their interval tally.

The Nuns, meanwhile, doubled their half-time total with a try and last-action penalty (to salvage a losing bonus point) and, had they not wasted three penalties that should have set up dangerous attacking positions, but failed to find touch, might well have seriously disputed the outcome.

Just as in the away fixture in October, the Greens' forwards were key to the result, efficiently driven mauls taking them over the visitors' line for tries by prop Chris Steel (18 minutes) and Dave Muckalt (39 minutes) - the back-row man's first for the club.

But the Nuns pack, much changed from that which was steam-rollered virtually out of the game in the teams' previous meeting, was far from easy meat' this time.

They bundled over the Greens' line midway through the second half, only to be held up', and caused their opposite numbers many anxious moments in fiercely-contested set scrums.

The Dalesmen could hardly have had a better start.

A sweeping move by the backs sent winger Simon Horsfall clear for the touchdown with barely 80 seconds on the clock.

Skipper Andy Baggett converted from close to the touchline, and responded to Nuns' sixth-minute penalty from full back Robert Cook with a straightforward clearance three minutes later.

The tries by Steel (converted) and Muckalt sandwiched one by prop Tim Pickard for the visitors.

Nuneaton had the edge in possession and territory in the second half but, despite frequent threatening attacks, broke through tenacious defence only once, winger Michael Moore finishing off a fine move in the right corner in the 70th minute.

Cook had fought a losing battle with the strong wind in his kicking throughout the game and his conversion failed, but his injury-time penalty ensured that his side's efforts would not be totally unrewarded.

* A minute's silence was held at all Wharfedale's matches yesterday in tribute to Tracy Aldersley, who died suddenly on Friday morning.

Tracy, 45, was a long-serving and much-respected member of the Wharfedale club. He had been selected in the Development squad for yesterday's game.