Blaydon return to winning ways – Wharfedale 13 Blaydon 37

With both sides on a 5 match losing run this looked set to be a close encounter but it was Blaydon who found their form with a bang, running in 5 tries to record a welcome runaway victory.

The visitors were simply stronger in every phase of the game, scoring tries on 2 occasions when a man down because of a yellow card, and so dominant in the second period that Wharfedale never set foot in the Blaydon 22 after the break.

Tom Barrett for the home side and then Andrew Baggett landed early penalties before Tom Penny ran in Blaydon’s first try, the winger applying the finish to a smart three-quarters movement.

Wharfedale then forged in front for a short while when a hack-on bounced favourably for lock forward Tom Powell but the visitors dominance was soon restored. Baggett struck another penalty and directly from the restart Chris Wearmouth crashed over from a driving maul with Baggett again on target.

In a rare visit up-field Barrett put over another penalty to make it an unrealistic 13-18 score-line at the interval but from thereon the home challenge was non existent.

Baggett, in sparkling form against his old club, put in a clever kick ahead to release Tom Grimes for try No3 and then Penny grabbed his second when he stepped inside his man in fine style and the scoring was completed on the hour when Baggett sent in full-back Nathan Bailey clear with an inside pass.

Having been thrashed by Blaydon both home and away Wharfedale could only take consolation in fly-half Barrett picking up 8 points to become the first ever for his club to reach the 300 mark in a league season.

John Brennan