Yorkshire One: North Ribblesdale 26, Bradford Salem 18

IT WOULD have been easy to blame this Bradford Salem setback on the problems they had in getting to Settle due to a couple of road accidents.

However, although experienced prop John Bradbury admitted that pre-match wasn't ideal, he reckoned that more telling factors were individual errors and a  lack of nous as Ribblesdale notched a deserved victory.

He said: "Our preparation was very poor – I didn't arrive until 3pm for a 3.15pm kick-off (Salem's touch judge Bruce Strachan took two and a quarter hours to get to Grove Park from Thornton, Bradford and missed some of the first half) – but most of the lads were there by then.

"Our defeat was more down to a lack of nous and our individual errors, although North Ribblesdale are a good side and very good in the forwards."

Among his opponents in the front row was indefatigable 51-year-old John Thwaite, who said: "The packs were pretty even but we had the better backs in Simon Bolland, Adam Whaites and Steve Moon, apart from their 15 (Danny Belcher).

"We would like to finish in the top four, and the top two could be nice as we have a lot of young lads in our side and we want to carry things on."

Ribb were soon threatening the Salem line, with injury prone former Wharfedale full back Whaites combining well with No 8 Mick Carr and flanker John Padley but the visitors somehow held out after ten minutes' pressure deep in their 22.

And not only that, but full back Belcher stroked over a penalty in the tenth minute and centre Chris Clough went over for a try in the 25th minute on the back of a quick tap penalty by flanker Sam Savage, Belcher carrying the attack on before Clough used right winger Ryan Smith as a foil to go over himself.

Although Belcher hit a post with the conversion attempt, these blows must have been a kick in the teeth for the hosts after all their dominance but they were ahead 13-11 at half-time via a fine try for scrum half David Fox, supporting a break by skipper Bolland, and a conversion and two penalties for the reliable Moon, Salem having replied with a Belcher penalty.

Moon's third penalty two minutes after the restart made it 16-11 and, although they blew a try when a long pass to Mick Thwaite was knocked on in the 53rd minute, another Moon penalty ten minutes later stretched the advantage beyond a score.

Belcher always looked the likeliest means of breaking the Ribblesdale defensive line but his pass to winger Nick Fontaine went forward in the final minute of normal time.

Two minutes later, quick hands put Smith over, Belcher converting to put Salem just a point behind, but they generally spent too long in their own 22 in the second half and there wasn't even going to be the consolation of a losing bonus point.

Replacement Matt Speres scored for Ribblesdale two minutes later, Moon's conversion putting them eight points in front.