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Sat 10 Dec 2022 · National League 2 North
1st XVWharfedale
24
22
Chester 24-22 Wharfedale
Tim Carty11 Dec 2022 - 10:34
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No penalty dramas at Hare Lane as Liam holds his nerve
On a day when a missed penalty grabbed all the headlines, it was a very late successful one that gave Chester a win over Wharfedale at a snowy Hare Lane on Saturday.
The sides shared six tries but it was Liam Reeve’s kicking accuracy at the death that proved the difference.
Chester jumped into a 10-point lead with tries from wing Harrison Vare and full back Gethin Long (pictured), after Vare had collected a cross field kick and cleverly off loaded in the tackle. Both scores were wide out and were unconverted. Not to be outdone, the visitors from North Yorkshire responded in kind when second row Ryan Carlson collected an inside pass to crash over followed by some good running lines and a great pass to wing Oscar Canny to score in the corner. A great conversion from stand-off Rob Davidson pushed the visitors into a brief 10-12 lead. A Reeve penalty following a midfield offside decision gave Chester a 13-12 half-time lead.
After a half-time warm up, Chester extended the lead with a successful Reeve penalty after a scrum misdemeanour. Whatever momentum Wharfedale attempted to summon was thwarted by regular coughing up of possession via poor handling, understandable in the cold conditions, and an ever-alert referee who was quick to penalise transgressions, some clearer than others.
On 55 minutes Chester scored their 3rd try of the afternoon when good handling found prop Tom Furnival out wide and he, repeating his exploits from Rotherham last week, dotted down in the corner. The last 10 minutes became the tale of the two 10s. Wharfedale’s Davidson scored and converted a great try and put the visitors into the lead on 68 minutes with a penalty. At 21-22, he had a chance 35 metres out to extend the lead beyond a kickable penalty but pushed his kick just wide of the posts. Just as last year when a Harry Craven try in the last minute gave Chester a win, Wharfedale’s travelling supporters were heartbroken as Chester fly-half Reeve landed the winning penalty with the last kick of the match.
Chester move up to 5th in National 2 North
pic credit Jonathan Cain
The sides shared six tries but it was Liam Reeve’s kicking accuracy at the death that proved the difference.
Chester jumped into a 10-point lead with tries from wing Harrison Vare and full back Gethin Long (pictured), after Vare had collected a cross field kick and cleverly off loaded in the tackle. Both scores were wide out and were unconverted. Not to be outdone, the visitors from North Yorkshire responded in kind when second row Ryan Carlson collected an inside pass to crash over followed by some good running lines and a great pass to wing Oscar Canny to score in the corner. A great conversion from stand-off Rob Davidson pushed the visitors into a brief 10-12 lead. A Reeve penalty following a midfield offside decision gave Chester a 13-12 half-time lead.
After a half-time warm up, Chester extended the lead with a successful Reeve penalty after a scrum misdemeanour. Whatever momentum Wharfedale attempted to summon was thwarted by regular coughing up of possession via poor handling, understandable in the cold conditions, and an ever-alert referee who was quick to penalise transgressions, some clearer than others.
On 55 minutes Chester scored their 3rd try of the afternoon when good handling found prop Tom Furnival out wide and he, repeating his exploits from Rotherham last week, dotted down in the corner. The last 10 minutes became the tale of the two 10s. Wharfedale’s Davidson scored and converted a great try and put the visitors into the lead on 68 minutes with a penalty. At 21-22, he had a chance 35 metres out to extend the lead beyond a kickable penalty but pushed his kick just wide of the posts. Just as last year when a Harry Craven try in the last minute gave Chester a win, Wharfedale’s travelling supporters were heartbroken as Chester fly-half Reeve landed the winning penalty with the last kick of the match.
Chester move up to 5th in National 2 North
pic credit Jonathan Cain
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