Wharfedale 31 Coventry 10: Landmark is celebrated with Wharfedale win

There was plenty for Wharfedale to celebrate in their 500th League game spread over 25 years, 16 of them gracing unbroken national status.

An eventual five point-haul looked a long way off as the Greens trailed 10-0 after as many minutes, but they ended up scoring four tries on the afternoon and victory was richly deserved come the end of the match.

But it will be the sterling and enthusiastic performance and the prominent role of several debutant young players like forward trio Aaron Myers, Mark Tampin and Alex Reider as much as the victory itself that will delight the Wharfedale clan.

The early stages were quite a ferociously battle.

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An opening Coventry penalty by centre Luke Myring was followed by short alternating periods of pressure which produced a try for each side.

First, visiting winger Andrew Murray was worked clear on the right for Myring to convert but home centre Joel Gill was the grateful recipient of a kindly bounce following a charge-down on the defending twenty-two to race home giving fly-half Luke Gray a simple conversion.

Wharfedale took advantage of the yellow card absence of Elliot Read to complete a period of territorial dominance and impressively-controlled build up when fly-half Gray broke clear to score and convert giving his side a 14-10 half-time lead.

A further Gray penalty and a characteristic 20-yard scamper home from a ruck by Dan Solomi virtually clinched the game for the home side.

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And with Wharfedale adding increasing set-piece dominance with some demoralisingly powerful srummaging to their devastating work of the outstanding Rob Baldwin, Myers and Solomi at the breakdown, a bonus point try was secured by Andy Hodgson who strolled home.

Wharfedale: A Whaites; D Hart, J Gill, A Hodgson, S Horsfall; L Gray, J Gough (P Woodhead (70); J Altham (B Sowrey 56), S Graham, C Steel (M Tampin 40); R Brown, J Quinn, A Myers, D Solomi (J Holland 77), R Baldwin (A Reider 73).

Coventry: B Russell; A Murray, N McDonald (J Green 51), L Myring, J Hallett; E Read, L Barker (N Dangerfield 67); L Beales, (M Weller 46), D Ager (M Price 46), A Parkins; S Herrington, B Dechartres (M Tibbatts 4); B Daynes, A Nash, J Miller.

Referee: Nick Cockburn (RFU).

n Macclesfield are the early front-runners in National One after they made it two wins from as many games with a 49-31 triumph at Stourbridge.

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Sedgley Park are level on points with their Cheshire rivals following up their opening weekend win on the road at Cambridge with a 29-10 win over Tynedale at home. A 26-21 home win over Blackheath sees Ealing Trailfinders in third spot, a point ahead of Rosslyn Park.

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