North Ribblesdale set the pace in Yorkshire One (From Craven Herald)

North Ribblesdale set the pace in Yorkshire One

10:52pm Wednesday 12th September 2012 in Sport By Andrew Mills

Old Brodleians 23 North Ribblesdale 28
North Ribblesdale went to the top of the table with their second win under new player-coach Hayden Viles.

Ribb had a storming first half then spent most of the last 40 minutes defending which they did effectively enough to hold on to a deserved win.

The margin could have been greater, Ryan Kirk-bride lost the ball over the line and Ribb knocked on several times in attacking positions.

However a win at Brods is to be treasured.

They are a tough team and play the slope on the pitch very effectively.

Playing down the slope Ribb were in the Brods’ half immediately.

They won a line-out, an area where Tom Stead and Sam Boatwright excelled, and the ball was moved right.

A miss pass put David Fox into space and he scored on the right.

His try was converted by centre Jonathan Richards.

Ribb’s fielding of kicks in the forwards was much improved.

Stephen Moon ran the ball wide and Matthew Dakin took Ribb into the opposition half.

A scrum on the ten metre line saw Moon made a half break.

Ribb won the ruck and Simon Bolland broke left and put Richards in for a try which he also converted.

Again Ribb ran the kick off from deep.

A surging rum from Kirkbride made room for Moon to dart over with Richards converting for a 21-0 lead.

The pattern was repeated five minutes later when a surge by Sam Boatwright set up a ruck from which Bolland beat two defenders to go over next to the posts.

Richards had not trouble with his fourth conversion.

Ribb’s indiscipline cost the m three points when Wood kicked a 40th minute penalty.

Brods were able to build momentum in the second half as Ribb gave away a string of penalties.

The team must learn to trust their defence, they gifted the prolific boot of Wood three penalties and lost huge ground so they spent most of the time playing in their own half.

Dawson burst over for a try converted by Woods as Ribb faltered.

Ribb did not help themselves.

They had Kirkbride and Nathan Dakin sin binned and played for five minutes with 13 men.

Here the doughty old campaigner John Thwaite came into his own.

He dominated his opposite man to such an extent that Brods’ two man advantage was nullifiedThe return of Kirkbride saw Ribb’s best period in the second half.

They picked and drove before releasing the ball to substitute Rob Hayes who went close.

From the ruck Kirkbride got over but a very good tackle dislodged the ball.

Strangely Ribb did not pick and drive again.

Brods have a powerful running pack but their backs struggled to cope with Ribb’s pace.

As it was Ribb coped with the Brods hard running forwards, but the continual stream of penalties kept them in their own half.

Woods kicked three more penalties to put Brods within a converted try of winning, but Ribb held out to make it two wins out of two