Weekend Review: Wharfedale edge tight contest | Huddersfield rally to win | Sheffield off the bottom

WHARFEDALE continued their 2018 resurgence with a third victory in four games, running out 22-20 winners at home to Chester in National Two North to climb up to 13th in the table.
Second row Austen Thompson scored two tries as Huddersfield defeated Luctonians (Picture: Andy May).Second row Austen Thompson scored two tries as Huddersfield defeated Luctonians (Picture: Andy May).
Second row Austen Thompson scored two tries as Huddersfield defeated Luctonians (Picture: Andy May).

It was a tight game throughout, the sides level 12-12 at the break thanks to a brace of tries from Wharfedale winger Charlie Graham and one conversion for Tom Barrett.

The sides traded penalties in the early stages of the second half before lock Kieran Frost powered over for the hosts.

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Barrett again added the extras and put Wharfedale 22-15 in front.

Chester hit back with a try of their own 15 minutes from time, but the hosts held on.

Huddersfield rallied from a first-half deficit to take a bonus point 30-18 victory at Luctonians.

Second row Austen Thompson and left-winger Brandon Conway both crossed twice, with hooker Francis Entressengle and scrum-half Joe Hinchliffe weighing in with a try apiece.

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Sheffield moved off the bottom of the table after a tight 10-3 victory over South Leicester.

Second row Dave Clayden scored the game’s only try in the first half, Steve Depledge adding the extras for a 7-0 Sheffield lead at the break.

Depledge then extended the advantage with a successful penalty 13 minutes from time, and although the visitors kicked a penalty in the last ten minutes, Sheffield held on.

Otley fell to defeat at the hands of Leicester Lions, the visitors taking victory by five points in a 25-20 game.

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Lions led 25-7 at the break with a Thomas Hodson try, converted by Joe Rowntree, giving Otley a base to build on after the break.

Despite tries from Brett Mitchell and Michael Coady in the second half, the hosts just came up short, settling for a losing bonus point.

Meanwhile, Jamie Broadley was the stand-out man again for Sheffield Tigers as he scored a hat-trick.

But it proved to be in vain as they came away from Tynedale empty-handed, falling to a 71-20 defeat.

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Winger Sam Rees scored a hat-trick for Hull Ionians in their National One clash at Esher, but they also lost, going down 38-27.

The visitors were 26-3 behind inside the first half, Tom James and Ben Loader among the scorers for the hosts who secured their bonus point.

James Newman crossed for Ionians just before the break and Rees’s second-half trio did help Ionians take a point from the game.

But further tries for Stephen Boatman and Hugo Seccombe wrapped up the win for the hosts.

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There were two all-Yorkshire ties in the North Premier, with third-placed Hull coming through a tough game against Morley to win 15-5.

Centre Joe Martin opened the scoring for Hull on 34 minutes and full-back Lee Birch scored a stunning second-half try, running in from 55 yards.

Two minutes from time Morley’s Oli Flagg forced his way over from a rolling maul, but Hull had the last say with Steve Johnson converting a late penalty.

Elsewhere Sandal secured a comfortable 21-3 win at Ilkley, the visitors asserting themselves on the fixture early with two Greg Wood penalties and a Simon Frewin try giving them an 11-3 half-time lead.

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It was more of the same in the second half as a converted James Stewart try and another penalty from Wood rounded off victory.

With the top two in North One East losing on Saturday, Bridlington and West Leeds both seized the opportunity to close the gap with impressive away wins.

Bridlington moved third in the table after a 43-17 bonus point victory on the road at Northern.

West Leeds won 26-22 at Percy Park with lock George Carpenter crashing through on the last play of the game to snatch victory.

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Kier Breakwell had scored West Leeds’s other try earlier in the second half and the rest of their points came from the boot of Dale Breakwell, who converted four penalties.

Despite the win, West Leeds fell two places to fifth in the table, but the top five are now separated by just four points.