Heath 30 North Ribblesdale 8

NRTH Ribblesdale produced an embarrassingly poor performance which was lacking in any sort of tactical acumen.

The kicking game was non existent and Ribb failed to pressurise a side that had shipped over 50 points the week before in losing at Yarnbury.

The visitors' game plan served to boost Heath’s fragile confidence. At half-time the home side were visibly tiring but they were stirred into activity by Ribb habit of constantly giving them the ball

It was so disappointing coming so soon after the stirring 17-3 win over Middlesbrough. Despite being without Simon Bolland and Mick Carr they should still have been good enough to challenge for a first away win of the season.

Unfortunately, they did not start well and quickly got on the wrong side of a quirky referee. The official was not the reason for the defeat, that was due entirely to the fact that only a few players stood up to be counted.

Ribb lost because they have no idea of how to adapt their their game plan when it clearly isn't working.

Their best spell came early in the game when they put pressure on in the Heath 22 when their only reward was a solitary Jonathan Richards penalty.

It was soon clear that Ribb did not have the scrum dominance of the previous week , but they went close to scoring a try when a good move put Ryan Gill through in the centre. The chance was lost when the support was slow to arrive.

Two penalties rom three attempts by Ezra Hinchliffe gave Heath a 6-3 lead at half-time.at half time.

The second half was forgettable. Ribb were tactically inept and gave a lot of ball away. They were also punished for indiscipline when the referee reversed a penalty for backchat and Hinchliffe extended his side's lead.

Ribb spent most of the time on the back foot but were defending quite well ,however they were not winning much ball and the line-out did not function properly.

What ball they got they tried to flick out of the tackle instead of consolidating and building phases .

Heath were becoming more confident and they scored the first try from Thackray after a miss move in the centre. Hinchliffe's conversion put Heath 16-3 ahead.

Ribb were struggling to compete and Heath's next score was from number eight Downsborough and was again converted by Hinchliffe who then rounded off the scoring with a converted try.

Ribb finished the game with a well-taken try from sub Angus Carr but it was too little too late .

When you are tactically inept and outgunned in the forwards, it requires character to turn games like this around. Ribb did not show enough fight or imagination and many of the forwards were anonymous.

They face another Halifax dogfight at Old Brodleians on Saturday and need a win.