Wharfedale 27 Tynedale 10: Davidson cameo and Baldwin leadership gets Wharfedale back to winning ways

The wonder was that the margin was just 17 points, Wharfedale having dominated the game from first to final whistle.

One man has to be singled out in what was an excellent team performance – Greens captain Rob Baldwin, who inspired his side to an invaluable five-point victory after five successive league defeats.

If Wharfedale's finishing had matched their slick, adventurous approach play, the result would have been settled by half-time. As it was, missed chances combined with tigerish defence by Tyne left the score at 10-3 at the interval. Tries by scrum-half Philip Woodhead – a 30-metre break for the left corner on 14 minutes – and winger James Druce in the 20th were scant return on incessant pressure.

Tyne opened their account in their first serious venture into the home half with a last-action penalty by stand-off Gavin Beasley.

Hooker Steve Graham's try (45), converted by stand-off Tom Barrett, after lock Talite Vaioleti had won the ball on the Tyne '22', looked to be the prelude to a rush of home points. But Tynedale left winger Alan Rogers finished off a well-worked move, converted by Beasley to make it 17-10.

Enter, in the 70th minute, centre Tom Davidson, whose 52-metre penalty, plus a try – his bonus-clinching chance made by Baldwin's surge to claim the ball – and the conversion, and his 10 points injected a semblance of sense into the final scoreline.