Yorkshire Division One: West Park Leeds 7 North Ribblesdale 22

A STRANGLEHOLD on possession from the tight allowed Ribb to score four tries and they could have had more.

John Thwaite, after a barnstorming run, lost the ball over the line early in the game and a tricky crosswind meant flowing moves were difficult.

West Park had their moments, and skipper John Fletcher and fly half Andy Cromack tried hard to get some momentum, but Ribb were very strong on their own tight ball and took some off their hosts, John Padley turning over a lot of loose ball.

Ribb, playing downhill, were soon in the home half but they had to start with Peter Cook, Michael Thwaite at fly half and David Fox at full back as Steven Moon was delayed in traffic.

The disruption did not cause any problems, however, and Ribb looked comfortable against Park's early challenge, with centres Jonny Moore and Jonathan Richards holding the defensive line.

A move off a line-out gave John Thwaite some space but he lost the ball in touching down.

However, a break by Mick Carr drove into the 22 and Fox saw the gap, and handed on to Mick Thwaite, who scored wide out after ten minutes, Moon missing a tricky conversion.

Ribb were on top and had most of the territory, Park's relief chiefly coming by frequent use of the whistle by a referee who was being assessed.

The visitors were further handicapped by their tactic of waiting for the forwards to come trundling round after every breakdown.

Ribb's backline were markedly superior but "you have to earn the right to go wide" is the modern coaching mantra, and the defence can re-organise quicker than the attacking forwards.

Fox is quick but it seems he is not allowed to make breaks or pass early to the elusive Moon – you would think with Ribb's lightweight pack that they would want the ball wide early.

Simon Bolland is devastating and Moon is also a line-breaking threat but they cannot have the ball early – it's in the coaching manual that you must crash the ball repeatedly into the opposition before the backs get the ball.

Ribb were on top but a lot of the play was in the middle of the pitch, with forwards repeatedly taking the ball into contact.

The visitors eventually ground their way into Park's 22, and a series of forward surges involving the excellent Willy Garth gave Sam Boatwright, who also had an excellent game, the chance to go over just before half-time for an unconverted try which made it 10-0.

Playing up the slope did not change things much as Ribb had an iron grasp on the ball, with their scrum and line-out being solid and Padley ruling the breakdown.

Park were becoming increasingly frustrated and Ribb becoming marginally more expansive.

Bolland got the first of his two tries when a good move gave him a run in on the left to put Ribb more than two scores clear.

Park were starting to tire as Ribb kept the ball for long periods, and it was something of a surprise when Park's flanker Leon Blakey burst out of a ruck near the ten-metre line to score unopposed, with Cromack converting.

However, Ribb had the last word when Moore took an inside ball to create an overlap on the left, Fox giving Bolland a clinical pass for a score that was converted by Moon.

This was a sound bonus-point win away from home, which further distances Ribb from the relegation zone, but, with Padley the quickest player to the ball on the ground, they must try to make more use of two quick half-backs and a winger who can make tries out of nothing.