North Ribblesdale 10 Bridlington 6

NORTH Ribblesdale scored a welcome win but the margin of victory was tighter than it should have been.

The home scrum worked well and the line-out was solid which meant that Ribb had a good supply of possession.

The two defences were resolute which meant that scoring chances were kept to a premium.

The outcome would have been more clear cut if Rib had taken advantage of two great opportunities in the first half.

On each occasion there was an overlap but the ball carrier tried to go it alone each time before throwing out an impossible pass when their progress was checked.

In a game where defences are dominant it is important to execute such scoring chances with precision.

This failure left Brid in the game, never more than two scores adrift, and for quite a time one.

On the positive side the scrum was dominant and the line out functioned smoothly with the Thwaite brothers and Adam Stubbs taking their ball. The introduction of James Dugdale as substitute boosted the possession from this facet of the game.

The backline also operated well but their opposite numbers were immense in defence. Matty Speres scored a fine individual try while Simon Bolland was always a clear threat with his pace.

The other clear menace was Bridlington’s Girking. He missed a long penalty but put two over.

Despite the low score, the game was open. Both sides moved the ball quickly bringing the outside backs into play.

Speres scored after 20 minutes, making a try out of nothing. Jonathan Richards tagged on the conversion and added a penalty. Ribb looked to have the beating of Brid with a steady supply of ball from scrum and line-out, but their failure to take their chances kept Bridlington in the hunt.

Ribb picked up two yellow cards which meant they played a quarter of the game with 14 men. Dugdale was punished for a deliberate knock on and Mick Carr was hit by the ball while trying to get back onside.

Both sides had extended periods of pressure but midfield defence dominated.

Bolland was the most impressive back while Angus Carr and Ryan Gill were a threat and more needs to be made of their match-winning potential.

Ribb lost hard-tackling Johnnie Moore to a shoulder injury, while Christopher Lambert came on for John Thwaite and had a very solid debut.

More precision would have seen Ribb win more comfortably, but any win in this competitive league is worth having and is a welcome boost for the season ahead.