North Ribblesdale 10 Selby 7

NORTH Ribblesdale showed a great deal of patience and produced a huge defensive effort to hold off another big pack as they recorded a hard-earned Yorkshire One win.

They also scored a nice try from the best move of the match with David Fox sprinting over the line after a searing break from Alex Naylor had created an overlap. Michael Thwaite converted and also kicked a crucial penalty.

Ribb made light of the heavy pitch as they pushed their bigger opponents back in the early scrums and tackled fiercely.

Selby's pack were given plenty of go-forward ball by the boot of James Hunt as he used the wind to peg the home side in their own 22.

The only flaw in Ribb's resolute game in the first half was some poor kicking into the wind which just gave the ball away. Fortunately, their defence was more than a match for Selby's backline.

Ribb had their first foray into Selby's half after 15 minutes when the second row pair of James Dugdale and Will Booth turned a ball over in midfield.

Ribb drove it forward and earned a penalty when Selby strayed offside. Thwaite knocked over the tricky penalty which was to prove a crucial score.

Johnny Moore was ill and David Shepherd played outside centre for his first outing of the season with Alex Naylor at inside centre and their tackling was a key element in the win.

Selby had a lot of ball and territory in the first half but made little headway outside the scrum.

Ribb were seldom seen as an attacking force in the first half. An interception got Martyns Bokiss away on the left early on but most of the first half was played around the Ribb ten-metre line.

Fox looked dangerous but the big Selby pack started to take control of the scrum although Ribb shaded the line-out with Booth taking a couple of Selby balls.

The last ten minutes of the first half saw Ribb under the hammer. Selby battered away at Ribb's line but their first up defence was good and they held out until the stroke of half-time when, after a series of driven line-outs, Selby forced Rob Taylor over with Sam Cruise converting .

Ribb played with even greater determination in the second half when they were playing towards the clubhouse. They started to take the big visiting pack on and though never dominating they were making ground although it was a hard battle.

Ribb probably had edge up front with the better mobility of the pack, but the booming boots of Cruise and Hunt meant they could not afford any loose kicks.

It was a very hard contest but Ribb came up with the match-winning score with time ebbing away. From a scrum on the halfway line Naylor made a clean break. He sliced open the defence and took the ball to the full back before putting Fox in for the try. Thwaite added the conversion.

This was not a classic but the level of competitive endeavour made it a compelling spectacle. Ribb's back row are very light but they along with Dugdale and Booth have a good work rate which is beginning to have an impact.

The victory should give Ribb a lift ahead of their tricky away game at York on Saturday.