Greens throw away golden opportunity

As this match moved into its final quarter with Wharfedale in the lead by 28-14 and with three tries in the bag, the Greens had begun to hope that this would be a season-saving five-point win.

But Tynedale, outplayed in the first half, moved up a gear. Three tries took the home side into a 29-28 lead, but as the match moved into injury time Tom Barrett, who had already stretched the Greens’ second-half lead with a penalty and a drop goal, coolly added another penalty for a 31-29 lead. Tynedale were not finished, and a naïve infringement gave full-back Mountain a simple penalty to hand the spoils to the home side.

Coach Tom McGee said: “We showed what we can do and performed with tremendous character.” Wharfedale’s tries, all in the first half, came from Myers, Wareing and Georgiou, but the important fourth try remained elusive. After Macclesfield’s home defeat, the Greens are one point behind but with a game in hand.