Cinderford’s chances goes begging
WHARFEDALE 37 CINDERFORD 17
CINDERFORD let a half-time lead slip as the home side fought back thanks to a virtuoso performance from Mark Bedworth.
The Foresters went into the break with a 12-10 advantage after full-back Brett Turner slotted four penalties, with Turner and Latu Maka’afi touching down for Wharfedale.
At the start of the second Cinderford were put under pressure by the home side, who went 22-12 in front through three penalties by Bedworth.
Cinderford refused to give up, however, and stayed in touch when Dan Wright went over for a try, to make it 22-17.
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Bedworth kicked a 40m drop goal and Luke Gray pushed them further clear with a try.
Bedworth capped a fine display with a try which he converted.
Source:thisisgloucestershire
Bressington on loan to Stourbridge
CINDERFORD travel north to Wharfedale this week desperate for some real action.
The Foresters tried to fix up a friendly with Cheltenham at short notice once last Saturday’s league game at home to Blaydon was called off.
However, Cheltenham were unable to get the game on.
Cinderford are due to travel to Yorkshire on Friday, but they’ll be keeping one eye on the weather.
Forwards coach Lee Fortey said: “We’ve been training regularly at Hartpury College and most of the boys do their own stuff too, so fitness shouldn’t be an issue. However, there’s no substitute for matches.
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“We’re looking to get some continuity back and all of the boys are desperate for a game.
“We lost at home to Wharfedale to the last kick of the game but we’ll have some new faces that they haven’t seen and we’ll play more of a running game. It could be tight.”
* CINDERFORD full-back Alistair Bressington has rejoined his former club Stourbridge on loan.
Source: thisisgloucestershire
Foresters defeated by last kick of the game
Cinderford RFC 26 – 28 WHARFEDALE
HIGH-FLYING Wharfedale snatched Cinderford’s first victory of the season away from them in dramatic circumstances at Dockham Road with a last kick of the game penalty.
The Foresters were leading the nail-biter 26-25 and will be scantily consoled by two bonus points, one for scoring four tries and one for a losing bonus.
But the home team gave everything, especially head coach Phil Greenaway who led by example at fly-half, and they deserved their first win in National One for effort alone.
However, their North Yorkshire opponents continued their 100 per cent start and celebrated like a cup final win at the end, showing how hard Cinderford had fought.
It looked like it was going to be a torrid afternoon for them when Wharfedale scored a converted try through Richard Rhodes after seven minutes following a rolling maul.
But the scores were level on 20 minutes when Robert Winchle scooted over in the corner and Ali Bressington converted after a scrum was preferred to a shot at goal.
Wharfedale’s eventual hero Mark Bedworth edged them in front with a penalty nine minutes later before Cinderford’s pressure was rewarded with two yellow cards to opposition forwards on 38 minutes.
The home side took advantage with two tries in four minutes to hold a 21-10 half-time lead.
First Danny Wright spun off a rolling maul to score in the corner before Bressington converted and then touched down himself out wide and added another two. With five minutes remaining of the sin bins, Dockham Road was stunned when Wharfedale full-back Simon Horsfall was allowed a free passage to the line two minutes in.
Bedworth converted to pull within four before adding another penalty on 54 minutes to set up a tense final half hour.
With Cinderford pushing for the win and try-scoring bonus, flanker Adam Nicholls went searching for Dewi Scourfield in Wharfedale’s 22 but only found Bedworth who ran in from 70 metres.
Bedworth missed the conversion but they led 25-21 after 57 minutes and Nicholls soon went from villain to hero when he dotted over in the corner 10 minutes later.
Unfortunately Bressington was unable to add to it in incredibly blustery conditions.
Then in injury-time came the heart-breaker when substitute George Evans was adjudged to be not releasing the ball near halfway and Bedworth nailed it impressively.
Cinderford: A Bressington; R Winchle, L Plummer, D Scourfield, R Haile; P Greenaway, P Knight; P Kennedy, N Matthews, A Deacon; D Bufton, D Wright; A Nicholls, W Foden, M Panaho. Replacements: J Smart, C Hall, G Evans, D Pointon, M Wilcox.
Wharfedale: S Horsfall; D Hall, C Malherbe, M Bedworth, I Culligan; L Gray, D Matthews; T Horner, S Graham, M Chivers; R Rhodes, O Renton;L Makaafi, D Solomi, R Baldwin. Replacements: A Mason, G Hindle, R Brown, A Black, L Dixon.
Greenaway to start against Wharfedale
HEAD coach Phil Greenaway will make his first start of the season tomorrow at home to Wharfedale (3pm).
Greenaway came on as second-half replacement away at Blaydon last week.
Greenaway will play at fly-half instead of Danny Pointon.
Cinderford v Wharfedale: S Hawley, A Bressington, L Plummer, D Scourfield, R Haile, P Greenaway, P Knight (capt), P Kennedy, C Hall, A Deacon, C Jones, D Bufton, Adam Nicholls, C McNeil, M Panoho. Reps: J Smart, N Matthews, E King, S Arnott, Andy Nicholls.
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
