Barking 31 Wharfedale 6: Battling Wharfedale can take much from heavy defeat at the hands of table toppers

The Greens played a substantial role in an excellent match of high quality, stifling the unbeaten league leaders' customary free-running style for most of the game.

Barking triumphed, ultimately, on the back of powerful scrummaging in the second half, which formed the launch-pad for the backs to prosper at last with a trio of converted tries.

Overall, the Dalesmen's performance was light years removed from the lack-lustre showing of the previous week, and coach Tom McGee will surely have accentuated the positives in the post-match review.

Wharfedale began strongly, led twice in the early stages through Tom Davidson penalties and were rather unfortunate to reach the interval 10-6 in arrears.

Barking full-back Adam Armstrong matched Davidson's opening score and then converted a push-over try by No 8 Lee Griffiths. The Greens continued to have plenty to say about proceedings in the second half, but Barking's tactic of now relying on the strength of their pack to engineer openings proved decisive.

That said, lively winger David Vincent needed little help with his try, his dancing feet creating an opening where none apparently existed.

Ten minutes later, centre Scott Alfeld touched down in the corner, and the final nail was hammered in by fly-half Harry Owens at the very end.