Stourbridge 15, Wharfedale 30

Wharfedale’s New Year turnaround in form and fortunes continued yesterday with a confident performance that, following on the scintillating victory over Tynedale, earned them another deserved five-point reward in National League One.

This time it took the Dalesmen a little longer to stamp their authority on the game but a rush of scoring late in the first half saw them to a commanding lead – an advantage they never looked like relinquishing after the break.

Though the Greens opened with a five-minute burst of pressure on the Stourbridge line, it was the home side that scored first, breaking away for lock Ben Hughes to grab a try from a driven maul.

In fact, the Midlanders looked marginally the more threatening for a while – though fly half Tom Barrett made it 5-3 with a 15th-minute penalty – and the Dalesmen had to defend determinedly to survive the absence of lock Talite Vaioleti to a 25th-minute yellow card.

But it all changed in a devastating five-minute spell, starting with Barrett’s second penalty in the 34th minute.

Tries by winger Simon Horsfall (36th minute) and flanker Dan Solomi (38th minute), after irresistible team approach play, both converted by Barrett, had the Greens firmly into the driving seat at 20-5 at half-time.

Home hopes were raised, briefly, with Hughes' second driven try in the 50th minute.

Six minutes later, winger Simon Frewin was red-carded for stamping, and his depleted side crumbled under another two-try surge to effectively settle the outcome.

Dale skipper Rob Baldwin (the recipient of the Frewin boot) claimed an immediate pushover score in the 56th minute, and winger James Druce had the honour of the bonus-securing fourth try in the 61st minute.

To their credit, Stour fought to the end, but centre Tom Jarvis’s try in the 73rd minute could be nothing more than ‘consolation’.

A two-place jump to 12th puts the Greens within touching distance of the top half of the table and, in their current mood, they will be eagerly anticipating next week’s home clash with Sedgley Park.

Wharfedale: A Whaites; J Druce (T Davidson 72), C Malherbe, A Hodgson, S Horsfall; T Barrett (R Rhodes 75), P Woodhead; C Steel (M Chivers 64), S Graham (I Larkin 64), B Hooper, T Vaioleti, A Allen (R Brown 67), D Hughes, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Referee: John Meridith