WESTCOMBE Park were comprehensively beaten at Wharfeside Avenue on Saturday with a try count of six to one in the home side's favour.
Wharfedale started the match with the benefit of the wind and the early skirmishes were fairly even, but with Dale proving to be very adept with the ball on the ground.
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The first score of the match came after Combe's first concerted attack, which was led by scrum-half Gideon Roux and captain and number eight Tom Hayman.
Although fly-half James Whittingham's long pass was nearly intercepted, the knock-on kept Combe in position and Whittingham duly slotted over from just to the side of the posts after the home side were caught offside in midfield.
In the early stages, Combe had most of the play and were soon back in the Dale half following a superb but not very well-supported 60m break by Roux.
This eventually allowed Dale to work the ball away after a Combe knock-on and then a series of infringements let Dale off the hook.
It was 18 minutes before Dale worked their way into the Combe 22 and further errors and penalties allowed them to kick to touch 5m out from the Combe line.
Though Combe at first defended the attack well with a fine turnover, the ball was not well-cleared and Dale duly started again and a secure win at the lineout and series of crabbing mauls led to tight-head prop Chris Steel's first try just to the side of the posts.
It was successfully converted by captain Andrew Baggett.
Neither side was then able to add to their tally despite having several chances each.
Combe must have gone into the break feeling pleased with their first half efforts, but perhaps concerned about their inability to hold on to the ball for any meaningful periods of time in the face of a stern and at times very crafty home defence.
Into the breeze, Dale did very little kicking in the second half and when they did, they generally kicked across the breeze for position.
They were fortunate not to be penalised on at least one occasion, which could have proved decisive as a Dale clearance kick from their 22 landed on their forwards just getting up from a scrum some metres in front of the kick.
Now with the elements in their favour, Combe started the second half well but were again soon on the end of rough justice.
Full-back Sam Naden's attempt to field a kick which went backwards was adjudged to be a knock-on and Combe had to defend a series of attacks well before forcing a turnover in the centres.
Combe's Achilles heel then returned as an inaccurate kick down centre-field was run back down the right flank by Dale centres Mark Bedworth and Chris Malherbe from their own 22.
This was then compounded by Combe's cover defence failing to support wing Lee Campion who, despite his best efforts, found himself faced with too many attackers.
Left-wing Simon Horsfall duly scored near the corner after good inter-passing for a superb try, with Baggett adding the icing to the cake with an excellent conversion.
As with the match against Stourbridge, Westcombe Park were given a lesson in ball retention in the second half by Dale's much lighter pack.
This, coupled with a willingness to attack from any position, did not allow Combe back into the game.
With the rub of the green in Dale's favour, further tries followed at regular intervals.
Steel scored his second on 51 minutes after a good Dale rolling maul in Combe's 22 and this was followed 11 minutes later by a deserved score for Bedworth as again Combe failed to clear after they had won a turnover.
A charged down kick was picked up by second row David Lister and when he was brought down just short of the line, the ball was recycled quickly to Bedworth who scored just to the side of the posts.
The flow of Dale tries was then interspersed with a fine Combe try by Hayman on 66 minutes, converted by Whittingham, which came after a great 50 metre run by Campion.
After Combe won the ruck deep in the Dale half, the ball was spun out cleverly by Roux to Dale's retreating number eight Robert Baldwin, who received a yellow card for his tardiness as he tried to join Combe's backline.
From here, a kick to touch, well-won lineout and driving maul did the rest.
Any encouragement Combe felt from this good fortune soon evaporated as Dale upped their game with their depleted numbers and with only minutes remaining, Dale wrapped up the match with two well-worked tries.
The first of these came from Bedworth, who finished off a series of fine attacks from Dale in the Combe 22 and the second came from Horsfall after Dale fielded an inaccurate kick deep in their 22.
Swift passing in midfield launched Horsfall on a searing run which he finished himself after good inter-passing, with Bedworth adding the extras.
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