Wetherby took a trip up the Dales on Saturday for a vital promotion game. Despite the cold snowy conditions they put on a red hot performance. Both teams produced a great game of rugby despite the freezing boggy conditions.

From the kick off Wensleydale immediately put Wetherby under pressure using their short driving game but they met a resolute defence which
was a feature of Wetherby’s game all afternoon. Inside 10 minutes Wetherby stole a ball at a maul and their winger was set free. He chipped over his opposite number and rounded him easily. On collecting the ball he passed inside to the supporting Myles Oates. However the ‘Dale fullback deliberately knocked the ball down.With the try line wide open the Referee quite rightly awarded a penalty try which James Gibson converted.

Playing with great conviction the Reds pack pounded the Dale line. First Matt Bartle went close following a strong run by Ben Dalby then Micky Youlden was unlucky when he seemed uncertain where the try line was and lost control of the ball over the line. The visitors were rewarded however with a penalty after 27 minutes by James Gibson after Pete Carr had made some hard yards.

The game was being played at a ferocious pace and with great passion by both sides. Wetherby were again subjected to another battering by the home forwards but their defence was superb. Then just before half time Alex Fraser cleaned up a loose ball and from the ensuing maul the ball emerged with Wetherby resulting in a try scored in the left corner. This was a crucial score leaving Wensleydale a big task in the second half.

Within 3 minutes of the restart the home side scored a penalty for a high tackle but Wetherby recovered the points with a Gibson penalty from a similar offence only 2 minutes later. The furious pace continued much to the appreciation of the spectators with ‘Dale trying even harder to hammer their way over the Wetherby line but again sound defence, which has the least points scored against them in the league, kept them out. The Red with their superior scrummaging had several attacking moves and came close to scoring in both corners before they had a pushover try rather surprisingly disallowed. In the final quarter of the game both sides scored converted tries. The Wetherby try was a classic. After several scrums and driving mauls the ball was fired quickly across the backs for Ben Dalby to cut the angle and score. James Gibson converted well from wide out. This was a brilliant try, perhaps the best team try of the season. The home side responded a couple of minutes from time with a well earned try for all their endeavours but it was too little too late.

This win moves Wetherby clear of Wensleydale into second place in the league. It was a great performance by the whole team and they will look forward
to continuing their 8 match winning sequence when they meet Adwick – le – Street next Saturday at Grange Park.