Selby 20 North Ribblesdale 13

Ribb went down at Selby due to an inexperienced front row who, although having a hard time in the tight, showed they will develop into a good unit.

This was the main difference between the sides as Selby sailed into a 17-0 half-time lead with Ribb hauling them back through some enterprising play which saw two good tries. The nail in the coffin was a late penalty when Ribb were pressing but they did get a bonus point.

On a firm pitch in excellent conditions, Selby belied their lowly league status by getting an early stranglehold on the Ribb pack. They were dominant in the scrum and equal in the line-out, giving them the platform to put Ribb under severe pressure, which was not helped by poor handling from the Dales side.

Selby, historically, have always moved the ball but seldom from a dominant scrum against Ribb. The result was two converted tries and a penalty.

The visitors re-grouped at half-time and started to pick and drive, putting Selby under pressure for the first time in the game. The first try came from such a move, Luke Melling bursting on to the ball and putting the powerful Simon Bolland in under the posts, Steve Moon converting.

Ribb suddenly put the screw on Selby with further short drives as Willy Garth went over for a deserved try, which was also converted by Moon.

As the game went into the final quarter, Ribb looked at the possibility of a win, trailing by just three points with five minutes to go, but Selby closed the door with a final penalty.

Six regular first team players were not available for this match and Ribb, at times, could not catch or kick with any precision.

However, there was a good return from long-term injury for Melling and a robust display from Willy Garth.

Ultimately, Ribb suffered from a lack of coolness under pressure and an inability in football terms to put their foot on the ball. But the young team nearly snatched the game and the missing players should not take their return for granted.