National One: Bonus point consolations for Wharfedale and Ionians

A scrappy affair had some good moments but Cinderford’s pack dominated and this allowed Callum Sheedy to control the game from stand-off.

Sheedy opened the scoring with a penalty before quick-thinking from James Doherty put in Huw Morgan for Dale to edge ahead. A drop goal from Sheedy restored Cinderford’s lead which was extended with a converted try by Sam Hanks.

Wharfedale’s George Hedgley and Cinderford’s Robert Winchle scored unconverted tries before Dale gained a slender lead after unconverted tries from Cameron Hudson and Josh Burridge. The visitors then went ahead with a converted try by Davy McGregor to which Sheedy added a penalty.

A resurgent Dale reduced the lead to one point with a flowing move finished off by Hudson to which Jamie Guy added the extras.

Dale desperately ran the ball from their own line looking to win but a mistake in the centre allowed Samuel Hanks in for a bonus point try to Cinderford. Wharfedale had the consolation of two bonus points as Sheedy missed a fairly easy conversion.

Hull Ionians had to settle for a losing bonus point as Rosslyn Park showed their credentials with a strong performance in a 44-26 win at Brantingham Park.

Park No 8 and captain Hugo Ellis barged over at a maul and scored a second try from a lineout, with scrum-half Tom Whiteley adding the extras.

Ionians winger Sam Wilson stepped up to take the second kick-off out of the hands of the visiting forwards, and raced away towards the line. Good support play from Falkingham took Ionians to within five metres, and the ball was recycled for centre Greg Lound to score and add the conversion.

Park hit back with full-back Henry Robinson scoring after he had spotted an overlap and squeezed in at the corner. Whitely added the conversion to that try, and also to their fourth which came on the half-hour from winger Adam Field, who also rounded the Ionians line in the corner.

Thomas reduced the deficit to 28-12 at the break with a 37th-minute try, which came after some great individual play, breaking away down the blindside from the base of a scrum and dummying over.

It was Ionians who scored first in the second half with captain and flanker Will Foden touching down after their forwards had driven the maul 20 metres to score.

With the gap narrowed to nine points, the wind was taken out of their sails when a yellow card for Johnson reduced them to 14 men, and Rosslyn Park took advantage with a try from Ed Milne, who added a second just after the hour mark, with Ionians back down to 14 men with Eggleshaw in the sin-bin.

Second-row Campbell was credited with a 73rd-minute pushover try for Ionians which Lound converted, but they were still 38-26 down and Rosslyn Park made sure of the win with Whitely kicking two late penalties.