Yorkshire Division One: North Ribblesdale 34 Yarnbury 5

YARNBURY, with seven regulars unavailable due to holidays and work commitments, had to field a very young side.

Second-team captain, veteran Stephen Riley, was drafted in to provide some steadiness and leadership among the youngsters, who included Kieran Lines on the right wing, Sam Oxley at centre, Jack Brown at full back and wing forwards Lewis Wray and Tom Warriner.

The Horsforth side started well up the slope without creating any chances but it was the home side who scored first on the blind side, putting in winger Angus Carr for an unconverted score in the corner in the first quarter after a good defensive stint from the Yarnbury backs under the guidance of centre Riley.

Yarnbury hit back up the slope and kicked for touch with a penalty from stand-off Danny Pound.

From the resultant line-out, experienced second-rower Ian Maycock took the ball at two and the pack drove over the line for another youngster, hooker Harry Minchella, to score out wide.

Pound narrowly missed the conversion, but Ribblesdale went ahead further from a close-in penalty by full back Jonathan Richards.

The game drifted to and fro until the last ten minutes of the half, when the defining moment came, a series of penalties going to Ribblesdale close to the Yarnbury line.

With the pack under pressure, the visitors managed to hold out well from a possible pushover try as the scrum buckled but did not yield.

Yarnbury were doing sterling work in the set-piece, with Russ Gomersall and Ian Maycock locking out low to prevent the pushover.

All the hard work was undone, however, with an infringement under the posts, with referee Hanson Haigh (West Yorkshire Society) having no option but to award a penalty try to the home side.

Ribblesdale then added insult to injury by scoring another unconverted try on the break through wing forward Richard Wood to open up a 20-5 gap at half-time.

With the slope, Yarnbury were pushing hard to get back in the game but the Ribblesdale backs were up fast to stop several attacks, and Yarnbury spilled too much ball at close quarters trying to force the pass at the last minute.

Ribblesdale scored two further tries through Angus Carr and Wood, both converted by Richards, from Yarnbury mistakes but the young side never gave up and put in a good defensive stint.

However, too much good work went to waste with the final ball.

The pack were disrupted by injuries to back-rowers Lewis Wray and Oliver Cashman.

Hopefully, more experience will be available from the other three sides turning out in their respective leagues, for Saturday's home derby against Old Brodleians.