Kung-fu Pinder kick half-splits Hoppers

■By EDWIN WILLIAMS

Wharfedale …………34

Preston G ……………. 19

JACK PINDER’S pair of tries, either side of half-time, helped Wharfedale to a home victory over visitors Preston Grasshoppers.

The hosts outscored their fellow mid-table Hoppers by five scores to one. Sam Freeman, from the penalty tee, had tried to keep his side in touch but Pinder clearly had other ideas.

The Hoppers had hit first, after Dale spilled the kick-off, seeing Greg Procter touch down after only two minutes.

Freeman added the extras in his first visit to the tee, but Dale hit back and snatched a penalty try only seven minutes later.

Freeman then hit over his first three-pointer to take Hoppers back ahead, before Joe Fawcett’s superb break from the halfway line saw him claim an unconverted try. Freeman followed up his effort with a penalty but, again, Dale dug deep. The hosts then sent over Pinder just before the break, as Greig’s conversion and another Freeman penalty saw the first half finish 19-16.

Freeman’s next penalty levelled the score, but Dale began to pull away, as Pinder was driven over for an unconverted second.

Greig then added a penalty, before Robbie Collinson’s 74th-minute try finalised the victory.