Ealing Trailfinders 43 Wharfedale 17

 Early-season pace-setters Ealing returned to winning ways after three successive defeats in comfortably accounting for Wharfedale for the second time this season in National League One.

If their superiority was less commanding than their flawless win at The Avenue, it still contained patches of clinical play, pace and intensity and cutting-edge finishing power.

The home side ran in seven tries, three of them in a hectic ten-minute spell just after the break to extinguish Wharfedale’s fleeting challenge.

Thereafter, bolstered by their powerful bench, the Yorkshire side rallied to end the game pressing powerfully near the home line in pursuit of an implausible bonus point, which might have gone some way to softening the blow.

They owed such a position to two tries from flanker Dan Solomi, taking his tally to 11 for the season, but a late blitz at the line just failed to add a penalty-try to the one the Greens’ pack had secured in the opening half.

The first half had seen two Tom Davidson penalties blown off course while the home side ran in three tries from set-piece ball, wing Phil Chesters, full back Peter Hodgson and centre Sam Wardingley taking the plaudits.

The Greens’ penalty try from a five-yard scrum ensured they had a toe-hold in the game at 19-7 down. But second-half tries from scrum half Morgan Thompson, Chesters and a brace from lively England Under-20s flanker Jack Clifford sealed the win, with fly-half Ben Ward adding four expertly-judged conversions.

Wharfedale can take some consolation from the fact the three sides in the relegation zone all lost.