Cinderford undone by Wharfedale

Wharfedale RFC 52 v 14 Cinderford RFC

CINDERFORD were on the wrong end of a seven-try extravanganza as Wharfedale secured a 14th successive season in National Two.

Home stand-off Mark Bedworth was the hero of a fine all-round team performance, as his 32 points included a hat-trick of tries and set a club record for league matches.

Despite the comprehensive margin of victory, Cinderford never faltered in their efforts, fighting on gamely after injuries struck.

Winger Toby Wilson was taken off on a stretcher on 60 minutes and barely five minutes later forward George Evans, who arrived on the field as the last of the visitors’ substitution options, had to go off, which left them with only 14 men.

The Greens dominated the early exchanges, the game plan clearly being to spread the ball at every opportunity to negate the impact of the powerful Cinderford pack.
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Bedworth opened the scoring after a strong forwards surge near the right corner flag. He failed with that conversion, but converted his second try splendidly from the opposite touchline.

The stand-off added a penalty before the Foresters at last broke through, scrum-half Sam Arnott burrowing over near the posts, leaving Tim Stevenson a simple conversion for 15-7.

Play remained mainly in the visitors’ half, but a second Bedworth penalty was all that the Greens could add before the interval.

With the bit between their collective teeth, Wharfedale continued to pound the Cinderford defence during the second half.

Bedworth cleared his third penalty and winger David Hall went over after a burst of frantic pressure on the Cinderford line.

The defiant Foresters pulled back to 26-14 with Rueben Haile’s fine score near the posts, Michael Wilcox converting, but thereafter it was one-way traffic.

The Greens added tries by Dan Solomi and an injury-time flurry of scores from Bedworth, Doherty and full-back Adam Whaites, Bedworth cementing his record by converting the final three.

Wharfedale: A Whaites, D Hall, C Malherbe (J Gill 80), A Hodgson, L Gray, M Bedworth, J Doherty, C Steel, G Hindle (S Freer 64), P Hall (B Fear 80), D Lister (O Renton 76), A Capstick (T Ball 80), A Allen, D Solomi, R Baldwin.

Cinderford: J Copsey, T Wilson (R Haile 54), D Knight, D Scourfield, J Carter, T Stevenson (M Milcox 54), S Arnott; C Bundy, N Matthews (C Hall 51), A Deacon (P Kennedy 64), R Fidler, D Wright (G Evans 64), A Nicholls, C McNeil, R James.

star man: Sam Arnott – the most effective Cinderford player, constantly harrying, and at the heart of most of Cinderford’s promising attacks

Article courtesy of www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk