Barrett kicks Greens on way towards safety

Victory was hard-won, but thoroughly deserved.

The difference on the day between two fast-running combative sides was in the forwards.

The Greens’ pack had the edge throughout, frequently gaining ground in mauls, and disrupting a number of the visitors’ set-pieces.

The opening 10 minutes were played out in the Foresters’ half, the Greens’ pressure forcing a brace of penalties, confidently converted by stand-off Tom Barrett.

A 13th-minute penalty from Cinderford stand-off Mark Davies got his side on the scoreboard, but the Greens then dominated play up to the interval.

Barrett had two further penalty shots – falling just short on the first from 37 metres, but clearing the next, on 25 minutes, from a tad closer to the posts.

Five minutes later, he sent a long penalty to touch, setting up a controlled maul that eased No 8 Aaron Myers over the line for a try and a 14-3 half-time advantage for the home side.

Cinderford were more involved in proceedings after the break, but only rarely did they seriously threaten the home line.

However, they managed a consolation try when flanker Robert Langley rounded off their only meaningful period of pressure of the half with a robust charge to cross in the left corner on 68 minutes.

By this time, the Greens had effectively sealed the result through Barrett’s fourth penalty on 47 minutes and Simon Horsfall’s try on 52, the left winger capitalising on a slick cross-field move, Barrett providing the scoring pass.

The importance of the win was underlined by the news that in-form Macclesfield – hot on the Greens’ heels, and currently filling the top relegation slot – had notched a fourth successive victory.

Macclesfield stay four points behind Wharfedale, who have closed to within one point of Tynedale, who are one league place higher. Wharfedale face fixtures with Macclesfield and Tynedale in April.

Reakes hits target for Ionians as Hull take revenge on Dudley

HULL Ionians emerged 32-14 winners from their game at Luctonians after a strong four-try performance.

Stand-off Chris Reakes got the visitors off the mark with an early penalty and then scored and converted a try on 10 minutes to put the East Yorkshire side into a 10-0 lead.

Luctonians pulled back a converted try but Ionians continued to dominate and went further ahead with tries by wing-forward Joe Sanders and winger Ben Johnson, Reakes converting the latter for a 22-7 lead.

Another penalty followed, and Reakes then converted a 59th-minute try from hooker Tom Rice to complete the scoring.

Hull, edged out 15-13 on their rivals’ ground earlier in the season, took full advantage of a below-strength Dudley Kingswinford to run out 49-9 winners.

The sides were previously separated by just one league point but Hull made it one-way traffic as they notched seven tries to nil.

After an early penalty from Greg Lound, Hull drove home their advantage with the first of two tries from winger Jamie Wigglesworth and others from flankers Anthony Maka and Ben Dorrington, all converted by Lound.

Gareth Bown salvaged two penalties for the visitors to leave the half-time score at 24-6.

Maka and Wigglesworth ran in tries within a minute of each other in the second half and there were others late in the game from centre Steve Slingsby and winger Alex Piercy.

James Cameron, who came on as substitute for Lound after 52 minutes, kicked a penalty and converted Slingsby’s try.

Sheffield Tigers were beaten 19-9 at Caldy.

Stand-off Tom Outram gave Tigers an early lead with a penalty but it was a false dawn as Caldy hit back with a penalty and a converted try through Craig Smithson just before the break.

Outram added two more penalties to narrow the gap to 10-9, but Caldy extended their lead with Richard Vessey kicking three more penalties.

Huddersfield conceded six tries in the final quarter as they were condemned to a 53-3 defeat at home to Birmingham Solihull.

For the majority of the game, Huddersfield were within one converted try of the opposition.

It was mystifying when the referee awarded a penalty try against Dan Hyde’s men for a scrum on their own five-metre line.

A penalty extended their tally to 10 but Huddersfield were boosted by a successful kick from winger Luke Booth.

The second half continued in much the same vein with Birmingham inching further ahead through kicks before a try from open-play on the hour was followed by two more in the space of three minutes. Three further tries followed to complete a frustrating day for Huddersfield.

Otley were left pointless for the first time this season in a 27-0 home defeat to Darlington Mowden Park.

Park mastered the muddy conditions, scoring on four minutes after pinching the ball at the base of an Otley scrum for prop Ralph Appleby to charge over.

Fly-half Grant Connon, in addition to his penalty and two conversions, made life difficult for Otley with his towering kicks. Park went further ahead before half-time, centre Lewis Johnson utilising the gap left by Michael Coady’s sin-binning.

Twice Otley’s James Twomey went close – his chip through sliding into touch and then being pulled down just short – but a penalty and tries from winger Sean McCartney and a second for Johnson left them second-best.

Brady brothers pounce as Harrogate hit back

HARROGATE are within a point of leaders Chester after a 24-10 win at Birkenhead Park.

This match was played on a mudbath but it was an absorbing contest.

Despite going 10 points behind in the first 20 minutes, Harrogate continued to play controlled attacking rugby and scored four tries, the first from Tim Heaton.

Harrogate took the lead by winning quick turnover ball from a Park counter-attack and Jake Brady powered through.

The Harrogate scrum were dominant in the second half and Sam Brady made it a family occasion by scoring a converted try. before substitute back Mike Aspinall set off on a dazzling run and Pete Wackett was up in support to score the final try.

Prop siblings Rob and Luke Norbury scored tries as Sandal recorded a 24-20 home win over Billingham.

The brothers scored in each half to help set up a 14th successive victory. Sandal took the lead after 10 minutes, following a series of phases which ended with elder brother Rob scoring out on the wing. Greg Wood added the conversion, only for Billingham to hit back with a penalty.

The lead was extended to 11 points when a quick tap penalty by scrum-half Max Whittingham saw him drive through. The visitors pulled back a converted try on the stroke of half-time to narrow the gap to 14-10.

Two unconverted Billingham tries changed the contest with 25 minutes remaining but Sandal got back on top with Luke Norbury putting his side within a point. The pressure continued and the points Sandal needed arrived when the ball was worked downfield for winger Simon Frewin to jink over.

Bradford and Bingley’s poor away form continued with a 
38-17 defeat at Lymm.

The Bees lack strength in depth in their back division and once they lost Benny Greaves and Tom Kanouros to injuries, the home side galloped away with the game after the break, extending a slender 13-12 half-time advantage into a dominant 38-12 lead.

Right at the death, the Bees showed some defiance as captain Guy Ford barged over from short range to claim his second try of the day and 19th of the season even though he had been employed as a makeshift centre after Greaves left the game.