Ionians battle all the way in derby but Hyde intervention ensures Huddersfield march on

An incredibly tight first half ended with the hosts leading 3-0 with a penalty from fly-half Chris Johnson after 37 minutes.

Ionians came out fighting after the break and started to make some headway, levelling the scores when fly-half David Marshall landed a penalty.

Huddersfield hit back to force a kick of their own but at that stage they were without Johnson, who had received a yellow card for a spear tackle. The task of taking the difficult kick fell to full-back Tom Owen, who defied the conditions to land the goal and earn his side a 6-3 advantage.

In the final quarter, player-coach Dan Hyde rang the changes, Francis Entressengle, Adam Sutcliffe and Hyde entering the fray to telling effect. Johnson went within a whisker of adding another three points, his drop-goal hitting the woodwork, and Hyde almost put his side away for a clear score, only for the ball to be slapped down by a defender.

Westoe 29 Sheffield Tigers 21

Sheffield Tigers, after battling their way into a 21-15 lead at half-time, were desperately unlucky to be denied even a losing bonus in an excellent game at South Shields.

Westoe, lying in fourth place to Sheffield’s 10th position, started in determined fashion and took the lead after five minutes when, from a driving maul, second-row John Younghusband touched down for a try which Mark Bedworth converted.

Stand-off Bedworth then landed a drop goal to put Westoe 10-0 up but Tigers rallied and within three minutes had pulled back a try by back-row Will Smyth, converted by Jonny West.

The visitors took the lead at 14-7 when fly-half West himself raced over for a try which he converted.

Westoe again edged in front when winger Ollie Stedman crossed for an unconverted try, but Tigers were in the driving seat at half-time after scoring the best try of the match.

From an impressive break by West, and with winger James Broadley in support, centre Jon Buchanan finished off the move and West converted.

However, within a minute of the restart, Bedworth crossed for a try and he added another 15 minutes later, both of which he converted to deny Tigers a bonus.

Tigers continued to put pressure on the home side for the remaining 20 minutes but were unable to score.

Bromsgrove 41 Harrogate 15

Harrogate started this match with waves of attacking rugby.

It took Bromsgrove 15 minutes to get into Harrogate’s half but they promptly kicked a penalty after an offence which put Nick Beaumont into the sin bin .

Bromsgrove’s lead was very much against the run of play and Harrogate then went ahead when Ed Smithies created space with a dummy and scored.

A straightforward penalty opportunity was then fluffed but further tries seemed inevitable.

That was as good as it got. Bromsgrove’s powerful pack gradually took control and an avalanche of tries followed.

The first one came from a steepling up and under which was missed just inside Harrogate’s half.

Caolan Ryan showed great control in kicking on and scored to give Ben Copson a straightforward conversion.

Harrogate were still very much in the game but Toby Quarendon was unluckily penalised and another attacking move broke down.

Just before the interval, Ryan Peacey was ‘binned’ for preventing a try by coming in from the side and Copson’s kick gave Bromsgrove a 16-5 lead.

Bromsgrove took full advantage of Peacey’s absence at the start of the second half. A powerful driving maul led to a try and this was shortly followed by slick handling which resulted in an excellent left-wing try for Toby Wilson, converted by Copson.

Bromsgrove’s Warren Oliver was then penalised for a spear tackle and escaped with only a yellow card. Mike Aspinall kicked the penalty but Harrogate almost immediately went offside and Copson’s kick restored the gap.

Nigel Burrows then crashed through to score and secure the bonus point.

Harrogate were still trying to play attacking rugby with Tim Heaton outstanding. Creative back play finally gave replacement winger Noel Minikin space to go through the home defence for a fine consolation try.

Coventry 3 Wharfedale 8

Wharfedale prop Chris Steel sustained a broken leg which looks likely to rule him out for the rest of the season but his side still claimed victory.

Steel, 25, was on a powerful break for the line in the final quarter when the tackle came in from the side and not only stopped him inches short but cracked his fibula.

It raises the prospect of Joe Altham stepping up into the squad for the next game against Fylde and an encounter with brother Peter.

A year ago, this fixture produced 66 points in a nine-try thriller. This time round on a dry, still, grey afternoon at the Butts Park Arena, a single try in the final quarter and after the injury Steel, only recently returned from shoulder trouble, was enough to settle the issue in the visitors’ favour.

Wharfedale deserved their victory which extends their winning run to four matches.

Though the Greens went scoreless for an hour and trailed for over half that time, they always had the measure of a rudderless Coventry side disrupted by a first-half ankle injury to captain Luke Myring.

Wharfedale controlled possession and territory for all but a quarter of an hour at the close of the opening half when they showed equal tenacity when called upon to defend.

They dominated play in the opening stages with Dan Solomi having a try over-ruled, Tom Davidson seeing a penalty sail wide and Scott Jordan being bundled into touch just short of the flag after the one flowing movement.

It was 33 minutes before Cov reached the opposition 22, Mark O’Connor’s second penalty attempt nudging his side ahead.

But such brief conviction in the home play disappeared after the break as the Greens’ mixture of driving forward play, powerful scrummaging and astute kicking kept them penned back.

But a Wharfedale score stubbornly refused to come until, on 63 minutes, Tom Barrett, moments after appearing as a replacement, landed a 40-yard drop goal.

Lock Richard Brown’s try in the corner moments later precipitated a fracas resulting in yellow cards for flanker Aaron Myers and home prop Adam Parkins.

Wharfedale comfortably played out time, three further drop goal attempts by Barrett and Davidson sailing wide.