REPORT BY: DUNCAN BROWN

NORTH Ribblesdale travelled to Doncaster on Saturday to take on Wheatley Hills with a much changed starting 15 from the previous weeks game.

The hosts, who were having a difficult season and battling to avoid relegation, were desperate for a win but over the years it has always been a difficult place to get a result at and yet again history repeated itself and they ran out 24-7 winners.

Ribb kick off with the wind at their backs and Wheatley immediately were on the attack and missed tackles took them to within metres of the line and quick recycled ball resulted in a converted try 7-0. The fast start by the hosts continued and a kick up field was run back by the impressive fullback Owen Gillvray who scythed through the centre of the visitors defence and scored a fine unconverted try in the corner 12-0.

Finally Ribb started to get into the game and the front row of Close, Stubbs and Marklew started to give the hosts front row a tough time conceding several penalties in quick succession and a kick to the corner by Micky Thwaite gave the visitors a good attacking platform and the throw was taken cleanly and Hooker Stubbs drove over for a converted try. From the restart Ribb ran the ball back into the Wheatley half and another penalty was taken quickly by the forwards and driven over the line for a try but the referee deemed the ball had been held up much to the disappointment of the Ribb team who believed they had scored before a Wheatley hand went under the ball. This was to be last meaningful action of the 1st half 12-7.

The wind had picked up and Ribb were being pinned in their own 22 by some astute kicking, the pressure told and from a line out the ball was passed across the field and winger Luke Caygill touched down for a try 17-7. The game became a scrappy affair with both teams unable to create much with handling errors and poor decision making. Ribb tried manfully to breach the home defence with runs by Alex Dew and Ben Coultherd being halted by solid tackling by a determined Wheatley defence. A knock on in centre field by Ribb was picked up by the home centre and the ball was passed to Steve Devine on the wing who power through to score a much need bonus point score which was converted and the full time whistle was blown with Wheatley deserved winners 24-7.