Acklam 26 North Ribblesdale 33

There was certainly plenty for the North Ribblesdale supporters to discuss in the bar after the Yorkshire One game.

On the plus side there was a hat-trick of tries for winger Simon Bolland as the visitors crossed the home line five times.

But the more worrying statistic was the five yellow cards they received and the dismissal of Sam Boatwright for collecting two of them.

The plethora of cards meant that Ribb had to play most of the game a man down and at times they were two short As a result it was hard for Ribb to achieve any rhythm with the constant whistling of the referee.

The ubiquitous Bolland – as well as collecting three tries – was yellow for having the temerity to put the ball down under the posts rather than in the corner where he crossed.

Acklam took exception to this and he was submerged under a sea of opposition players and got sin-binned for showboating.

Matt Speres and Ethan Henare, who had another powerful game, scored second half tries to put the game out of reach.

Ribb kicked off down the slope and after Acklam drove up the middle Nathan Dakin turned the ball over to give Steve Moon space.

He zipped round his man and found Josh McFarlane who put in a muscular charge on the right.

The ball was moved left and Alex Naylor came in to the line to created the overlap for Bolland to score the try which earned him his caution.

Hayden Viles was the next to get on the wrong side of the referee. The five foot scrum half was penalised for a high tackle on Acklam’s six foot two winger.

Ribb, down to 13 men, made light of their misfortune. They put David Fox on at scrum half and played two men light in the pack. Despite this they worked up to the halfway line and won a penalty. Fox took the tap and two quick passes later Bolland was over again for a try.

Ribb had just got back to 15 men when Sam Boatwright went off for handling in a ruck.

There was a period of Acklam pressure but they could not penetrate the Ribb midfield.

Boatwright’s return gave Ribb impetus and hey forced a penalty which Jonathan Richards kicked for a 15-3 lead at half-time.

Ribb came out strongly and dominated for the first 20 minutes of the second half.

Richards kicked a penalty before Bolland sailed in unopposed from a set piece move for his third try.

Ribb were looking more composed than at any other time in the game and it was no surprise when Speres ran in from 40 metres for another converted try.

Henare, who is fulfiling his potential as he gets fitter, went over for a try after an unstoppable run from 30 metres out. When Richards converted Ribb seemed home and hosed, but the game was to take a twist.

The visitors suffered a major blow when Boatwright got his second yellow card and automatic dismissal.

Ribb were now under pressure for the first time. Acklam worked the ball right and achieved a two on one which led to an unconverted try.

Acklam came back from the kick off and were now dominating the line-out which gave them a platform to threaten the Ribb line but they could not make any impression on a good Ribb defence in which Johnny Moore was prominent.

Ribb were holding firm until the referee awarded a penalty try for offside. Most spectators were surprised on this occasion that there was no yellow card.

They needed some massive defence with makeshift second row John Ambrose to thwart Acklam Eventually on the stoke of full time Acklam forced a converted try.

Ribb had gained five welcome points but at a cost of losing Boatwright for at least one game.

Ribb were by far the superior side but could not build any sustained pressure in a very fragmented game. The pluses were the cussed defence and a scrum which refused to concede even when down two men.

Ribb are going well without reaching their potential and will be looking forward to old foes Bridlington at home on Saturday.