North Ribblesdale 31 Yarnbury 24

IT was a case of the survival of the fittest as these two injury-ravaged sides took to the field at Grove Park on Saturday.

Both teams have long lists of absentees and were forced to play a number of their promising young players in what proved to be an interesting contest.

Yarnbury had the benefit of the slope in the first half and the big boot of stand off Kieran Davies was used repeatedly to pin Ribb in their own 22.

Ribb weathered an early spell of pressure as their side, which included three colts in the back line, gradually found its feet.

The first points came when Ribb stand off Mick Thwaite kicked the first of his four penalties when Yarnbury were penalised in front of their posts.

The boot of Davies soon had Yarnbury moving forward again and he gained his side’s first points when he tricked the home defence and scored a try near the posts which he also converted.

A second try followed soon after when Davies kicked to the corner and second row Ian Maycock went over from a catch and drive. Davies landed the difficult conversion.

Ribb responded well to the setback and created pressure close to the line before the determined Matt Speres scored a try which Thwaite converted.

Thwaite kicked his second penalty before Yarnbury gave themselves a slight cushion before half-time when Davies cut through past four men for a fine individual try which he converted himself.

Davies extended the visitors' lead to 24-13 before Ribb took advantage of a tiring Yarnbury side.

A Thwaite penalty cut the deficit before a good blind side break by Jonathan Richards allowed Adam Stubbs to get over wide out.

The conversion was missed but Thwaite made amends when he kicked his third penalty five minutes later to make it 24-24.

The last ten minutes saw Ribb on top for the first time in the game as Yarnbury’s pack wilted and the wily David Fox went over for a converted try five minutes from the end to give Ribb a win that will see them safe in Yorkshire One.

Speres was an inspirational figure for Ribb as they gradually wore down a bigger Yarnbury pack.

The Long brothers played well again with Josh making a good break while Fox had a good game and Andrew Thwaite led the pack well.