Harrogate...10pts Sedgley Park...13pts: IT was a stormy, blustery day at Harrogate for Sedgley's first ever visit. Harrogate were fifth in the league and Sedgley third - a close game was expected.

The crowd were not disappointed as the game was an exciting ding dong affair which, although Park deserved to win, the result was in the balance right up to the final whistle.

Facing the gale Sedgley started at 90mph and hammered the Harrogate line for the first seven minutes but could not manage a try.

The home side found relief in a penalty to clear the danger and then mounted a series of rolling mauls which Sedgley struggled to contain.

After 21 minutes the strategy paid off with 30 yards gained by a rolling maul and the Park defence committed scrum half Rhys Morgan put Harrogate ahead with a darting run from the base of the maul. Lee Cholewa converted and Sedgley were 7-0 down.

The wind was playing havoc with the kicking but Colin Stephens' skill and expertise showed that he had the better of his opposite number yet it was a perfectly weighted kick from Dave McCormack that opened the Harrogate defence.

Jon Scales made the half break McCormick's kick to the right hand corner flag and Ross Bullough's perfectly judged run made the touchdown.

There followed ten minutes of attrition and wonderful, if necessary, defence before Cholewa put over a penalty to make it 10-7 to Harrogate.

Time was running out to half time when Scales, on the left wing, released the ball, Stephens played a long pass to Paul Arnold who made ground in the centre and then delivered the best ball a second row forward has ever delivered to Ross Bullough on the burst and the right winger was over again, finishing off a 55 yard move.

Colins Stephens' conversion just grazed the outside of the post - a magnificent effort in that wind.

It was 10-10 at the break and Sedgley were confident that the wind at their backs would make life easier.

That it didn't work out quite like that was largely due to the tenacious Harrogate defence but the play was all in the Yorkshire half.

Dave McCormick and Ross Bullough both crossed but neither could ground the ball and with a Colin Stephens penalty the only score the game was extremely close.

Harrogate entered the Sedgley half for the first time with 10 minutes to go and then raised their game to a storming climax but Park held out to win in what was probably one of their best performances of the season.

Every player was a star and no weak links.

Rob Moon was absent because of injury but not missed and Ross Bullough's two tries were gems.

This Saturday at Park Lane (2.30pm) Newbury are the visitors when Sedgley will be looking for revenge for their away loss and on this form they will succeed.