Tincknell try brings relief for the Greens

Despite the early home pressure and promise of midfield penetration Cambridge led 17-0 after 20 minutes and 24 -17 early after the break, playing with a speed and freedom that threatened throughout despite the clear superiority in possession and try-scoring potential enjoyed by the home side.

A bulky Cambridge pack surprised the Greens at the breakdown and turnover ball produced two excellent early breakaway tries. A fine break from defence by full-back Mike Ayrton sucked in the wide defence to send winger Patrick Tapley striding home.

Then a second break set centre Will Lawson free for a score which, with the addition of two conversions and a penalty from fly-half Elliott Bale, rocked Dale.

Wharfedale at last added some precision to their fine approach play before pressure at the line earned hooker Steve Graham a try at the back of a driven maul. A long telling break by centre James Tincknell was quickly recycled and lock Richard Rhodes romped over for a try converted by Tom Barrett to leave Wharfedale 17-12 adrift at half-time.

They quickly drew level with a quick supporting finish by Dan Solomi from Barrett’s neat inside pass only for Cambridge to recover the lead through hooker Jarrod Taylor’s powerful midfield break through a yawning home defence.

The visitors’ continuing ability to force turnover ball combined with the excellent ball-carrying from the base of the scrum of outstanding No 8 Steve Hipwell kept an enthralling contest well on the boil.

But Wharfedale’s extra time on the ball was beginning to wear Cambridge down and once an alert Barrett had seized on a loose dropped ball near the line to streak home and convert his own score, a slightly relieved Wharfedale were able to pick off the winning try with a another fine long break from centre James Tincknell to close out the game.

Wharfedale’s victory in what was an excellent advert for National One lifts them four places to 10th.

Harrogate finally taste late success thanks to Dench try

Harrogate had lost four games this season after conceding the last score of the match but the tables were turned as Kyle Dench’s stoppage-time try, converted by Jack Latus, gave them a 25-24 home win over Caldy.

Caldy centre Andrew Barnish burst through for the opener before Latus’s penalty reduced the deficit. He then converted after forward Jimmy Browne powered over and Latus converted.

Caldy No 8 JJ Dickinson scored a fine individual try, converted by Gavin Roberts, for the final score of the half and Roberts broke clear to extend their lead after the break and added another after Harrogate’s Peacey had burst through.

Latus struck a penalty before continual Harrogate pressure enabled replacement stand-off Callum Irvine to combine with Peacey and set up a gap from which Dench crashed over for the winning score.

Huddersfield scored four tries against Nuneaton’s three but were pipped by a point.

The 25-24 defeat to their second-from-bottom opponents left the one-time title-chasers on a run of just one win from eight matches.

Huddersfield’s performance was littered with unforced errors, the hosts roaring into a 10-point lead with a converted try and a penalty.

Huddersfield struck back with a try from prop Alex Batty, converted by Chris Johnson, and took a 28th-minute lead when scrum-half Joel Hinchliffe crossed.

Winger Adam Ryder touched down in the corner and Johnson converted to make it 19-10 but Nuneaton came back strongly after the interval and a converted try left just two points in it.

A second score put the home side ahead and a penalty took them seven points before centre Mike Clarke scored in the corner, leaving Johnson with a kick to tie the game but he was narrowly wide.

Sheffield Tigers, after conceding two early penalties, fought back to beat bottom club Kendal 24-13 at Dore Moor.

Tigers made too many mistakes in the first half but turned round 7-6 ahead when they were awarded a penalty try virtually on half-time, converted by Jonny West.

Within two minutes of the restart they had doubled their lead after a try from scrum-half Alex Drage, converted by West, and there were further tries from flanker Frank Wragg and centre Jamie Broadley before Kendal pulled back a consolation try by replacement forward Richard Harriman on 80 minutes.

A stoppage-time try by replacement flanker Mark Wigham saw Hull Ionians claim a 22-19 win at Stockport to avenge a 16-12 defeat earlier in the season.

Ionians had taken an early lead with a penalty by Glen Boyd and a try from No 8 Joe Sanders, but Stockport hit back to lead 12-8 at half-time.

Sanders crossed again 14 minutes into the second half, and Boyd converted that as well as Wigham’s late touchdown which clinched the match.

Hull scraped a 24-23 victory over Bromsgrove. Tries from winger Alex Piercy and full-back Tim Wigglesworth helped them to a half-time score of 10-10.

They did just enough for the win afterwards with Piercy scoring again and a penalty try being awarded for a collapsed scrum, James Cameron converting both.

Preston Grasshoppers romped to a 90-5 home win over Otley to consolidate their push for the second promotion spot.

No 8 Dominic Moon scored seven tries, full-back Sean Taylor scored a hat-trick and scrum-half Nathan Fowles kicked 10 conversions. Otley’s try came from prop George Burkinshaw.

Injured prop flown to hospital

A fine 25-24 victory for Beverley in their fight to avoid relegation was marred by a serious neck injury to prop Alex Ogilvie which caused a 50-minute delay while he was airlifted to hospital.

Beverley restricted Rossendale to three converted tries in the first half, responding with tries by centre Junior Tupai and winger Rob Cuthberson.

Turning round 21-10 down Beverley got back to 21-17 with a try by scrum-half Chris Infield, which Tupai converted, and took the lead with another from full-back Richard Bussey.

Steve Nutt looked to have claimed victory with a penalty but in the dying seconds Tupai kicked a goal for Beverley to win it.

Relegated Morley lost 59-12 at home to Bradford and Bingley, who were helped by a hat-trick from centre Richard Tafa. Full-back Adam Wellington scored a second-half brace, and the hosts tries came in either half through Tom Hanson and Stuart Costello.

Sandal scored six tries in a 46-17 home win over Waterloo. They came from Simon Frewin, Tom Coad, Mark Pease, Dave Martin, Gareth Newman and lock Austin Thompson.