Wharfedale tame hosts Sheffield Tigers but Otley slide into danger

Wharfedale boosted their National Two (North) campaign with a good away win, beating higher-placed hosts Sheffield Tigers 25-17 to climb two places to tenth.
Sheffield Tigers' Peter Swatkins. Picture Scott MerryleesSheffield Tigers' Peter Swatkins. Picture Scott Merrylees
Sheffield Tigers' Peter Swatkins. Picture Scott Merrylees

Tigers drew first blood in the Yorkshire derby with stand-off Mark Ireland slotting over a penalty after just two minutes, but Wharfedale hit back shortly after.

Winger Oscar Canny raced in after four minutes and stand-off Jack Blakeney-Edwards added the conversion. And when scrum-half Sam Gaudie touched down on the half hour the visitors were 12-3 ahead.

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Tigers hit back just before half time with hooker Louis Townsend scoring and Ireland converting to close the deficit to two points at the break.

Wharfedale struck again with Blakeney-Edwards slotting over a penalty in the 49th minute, and he added the conversion following a 53rd-minute try from Gaudie. Full-back Pete Swatkins pulled back a try for Sheffield Tigers on the hour mark and Ireland converted, but the visitors held on for the win with Blakeney-Edwards adding a penalty.

Trailing at half-time, Huddersfield hit back to beat visitors Preston Grasshoppers 25-15.

The Lancashire side struck first with hooker Christian Taylor touching down and stand-off Tom Davidson adding the extras.

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Huddersfield hooker Liam Stapley touched down on 11 minutes to narrow the gap but the conversion was missed, and Davidson added a penalty for Grasshoppers to extend their lead to 10-5.

Milner was on target with the conversion following winger Kian Stewart’s 26th-minute try which gave them a narrow lead, but it didn’t last long with Preston winger Jordan Dorrington scoring in the corner to take a 
15-12 lead at half time.

But the second half belonged to Huddersfield, with Milner kicking two penalties as well as the conversion following wing forward Lewis Bradley’s 65th- minute try.

Tries from prop Charlie Beech and replacement Mike Adlard weren’t enough for Hull, who lost out 27-17 at Caldy. Stand-off Simon Humberstone kicked an early penalty to give Hull the lead, and he added the conversion following Beech’s 17th-minute try.

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But Caldy were 20-10 ahead at half-time following two converted tries.

They added another try after 58 minutes, and although Adlard raced in for a try with six minutes left it wasn’t enough.

Otley lost out 36-17 at Chester, leaving them fourth bottom of the table.

The hosts were 19-0 ahead with three tries in the first 25 minutes, before centre Gavin Stead converting his own 32nd- minute try.

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Chester went on to lead 29-7 with two more tries, before Otley hit back with winger Henry Roberts and No 8 Marco Dallavalle racing in for tries. However, Chester had the last word with a try converted try.

Wing-forward Jacob Hardy’s 24th minute try was Scunthorpe’s only points as they lost out 54-5 at Tynedale.

Rotherham Titans battled well in their National One clash at Darlington Mowden Park, but lost out 41-27 and had to settle for a four-try bonus point.

Two early tries from No 8 Zak Poole helped put the Titans 10-7 ahead, but the lead only lasted around a minute as the hosts ran in two more converted tries and a couple of penalties to go 27-10 ahead.

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Winger Ben Robbins touched down and San Hollingsworth converted for the Yorkshire side on 44 minutes, but Mowden Park ran in two more tries to take the sting out of Rotherham’s hopes of a comeback.

Second row Kieran Frost touched down late on and Robbins bagged a second try, but it wasn’t enough to challenge for the win, and they had to settle for a bonus point.

Hull Ionians were beaten 40-13 by Berkshire outfit Rams.

Winger Jack Colbourne touched down and Lewis Minikin added a penalty, but Ionians were already 19-0 down when they scored their first points.

Centre Moses Liwaliwa touched down in the second half for Hull Ionians.

But Rams added two more tries to secure a bonus point win and leave their hosts empty-handed.