Hinckley on a roll as Dale latest to fall short

HINCKLEY moved to the top of the table following their third win of the new National League 2 North season as they beat Wharfedale in a thriller in front of their home fans.

Both sides came into the match level top after two bonus-point triumphs, the hosts ahead on points difference, setting this up as an early season crunch clash at Leicester Road.

This was the the fifth meeting between the two sides, with home advantage holding sway in the previous four games.

But the visitors pushed Hinckley all the way and with the two drawing 17-17 all at the break, it took a dramatic break away winning try from star man Joe Wilson with just four minutes left on the clock to secure a third straight victory for the hosts as they continued their fine early season form.

“We were excellent,” said Hinckley director of rugby George Chuter. “To get the win and deny them the losing bonus-point really was the perfect afternoon.

“It was a game we could have easily lost but we showed unbelievable resolve to fight back and secure an important victory. If we continue this sort of form anything is possible.”

Hinckley took an early lead through a Ryan Hough try with the always reliable Wilson adding the conversion to make it 7-0.

A try from centre Rhys Lovegrove and conversion and penalty from Tom Mann, however, turned the game on its head and put the visitors 10-7 up with six minutes gone.

An intercept try from Rian Hamilton, who raced in from 50 metres out, extended Wharfedale’s lead to ten points before a try from Tom Wheatcroft on the brink of half-time and a conversion and penalty from Wilson made it 17-17 at the break.

Two more quickfire three pointers off the tee from Wilson saw Hinckley take a slender 23-17 into the final quarter of the game as the sides continued to go back and forth.

But Dale responded and took the lead once again after fly-half Will Bell touched down before Mann added the conversion to give the visitors a narrow 24-23 lead.

Man of the match Wilson then intercepted a counter attack from Wharfedale to finish under the posts, before keeping his composure to slot the conversion.

He added a further penalty to confirm the dramatic win and cruelly deny Wharfedale a losing bonuspoint in a fiery encounter.

“It was never going to be easy coming here and we made far too many errors,” said Wharfedale head coach Jon Feeley.

“We’ve made a great start to the season but this defeat might have come at the right time for us. It was tough to watch.

“We were in good control of this game and errors in important areas of the pitch cost us at crucial moments but we will learn, we have to in these moments.

“We maybe feel like we should have won here but that is rugby and we will respond.”