Flying Fourie is scourge of the Dales

WITH the glorious Yorkshire Dales as a fitting backdrop, Sedgley turned on the performance of the season, a six-try demolition of a very competent Wharfedale side -- and with steadier finishing it might have been many more.

Once again player-coach Tim Fourie led from the front with an 80-minute display of non-stop commitment and, this week, the team responded to a man.

The early stages were not easy. Sedgley were playing up the slope, but had the advantage of the strong wind, and possession was vital.

Line-out problems resulted, however, in Wharfedale having nearly all the ball and Sedgley needed to defend well.

However, this difficult period was survived with only a single penalty goal for home full-back Jonathan Davies after eleven minutes, a score which Colin Stephens cancelled out shortly afterwards.

Sedgley would have gone ahead if Stephens had been able to hold on to an attempted interception. but then a rare missed tackle, by Carlos Hassan of all people, gave Wharfedale a

try-scoring chance which they failed to take.

It was their last meaningful attack of the game. Gradually Sedgley began to get on top, battering away at the line.

Richard Senior, Tim Fourie, Jon Scales and Rod Latham all came close to scoring before Senior found the gap wide out on the right; Stephens hit the post with his conversion attempt.

Right wing Mike Wilcock showed signs of what was to come by skinning his man on the outside; full-back Alun Peacock was in support, but he was tackled just short.

Minutes later, Peacock broke clear again, but once again the

excellent Wharfedale defence held. Sedgley were dominating, but not scoring the points they needed to face the wind in the second half.

The injury-time try, when it finally came, was a bolt from the blue. Sedgley had won a line-out on the left, but had lost control of the ball and the Wharfedale pack was pouring through.

Suddenly wing Ross Bullough emerged in the clear, easily side-stepped the one remaining defender and scored to give

his team a 13-3 advantage at the interval.

The key to the outstanding second half display was the dominance of the Sedgley scrum.

There is no doubt that the arrival of Huw Thomas has made the difference in this department. Without the ball, Wharfedale were unable to utilise the wind and, when they did get hold of it, they continually sliced their kicks -- in marked contrast to Stephens, who was giving a master-class in the art of kicking out of hand.

Wharfedale continued to tackle well, but, facing wave after wave of attacks, they were going to break sooner or later. Gareth Roberts replaced Rod Latham in the front row, and still the Sedgley pack went forward.

Twenty-four minutes had passed before Wharfedale finally broke, and Sedgley ran in four tries in the closing stages, the backs breaking free with glorious running by Peacock and Wilcock, by the elegant Bullough and live-wire scrum-half Dave McCormack -- wonderful rugby that was appreciated,

if not enjoyed, by the big crowd.

Bullough scored the first from a lovely long pass; then it was Senior, a counter-attack try instigated by Bullough and Peacock; more good handling led to Bullough's hat-trick try; and finally Stephens crossed in the left corner.

The only wonder was that Wilcock failed to score in one of his best displays in many years in Sedgley colours.

SEDGLEY PARK: Peacock; Wilcock, Hassan, Scales, Bullough; Stephens (Jennings), McCormack; Latham (Roberts), Treco (Keyes), Thomas; Arnold, Stockdale; Senior (Taylor), Grainey, Fourie.

Sedgley entertain Fylde this Saturday in the final league game of the season before turning their thoughts to Manchester and the Lancashire Cup, a competition which the club has never won.