Yorkshire Division One: North Ribblesdale 34 Yarnbury 5

FOLLOWING their previous week's 66-14 humbling at West Leeds, North Ribblesdale bounced back with a comprehensive home victory over another Leeds side – Yarnbury.

On a perfect pitch and in hot, sunny conditions, Ribb started brightly, Angus Carr going over in the corner after a sweeping backs move.

Yarnbury replied immediately with a similar effort to level the scores but Ribb then pressed hard for ten minutes, only having a penalty from their mercurial full back Jonathon Richards to show for it.

The home forwards were in the ascendancy in the tight, with veteran John Thwaite, new hooker Ian Close and Richard Lynn causing Yarnbury's forwards all sorts of problems, and, from a close-range scrum, man of the match Richard Wood went over for a try.

Ribb's tackling was first class and, ably led by captain Jonny Moore and Graham Pettiford in the centres, snuffed out any threats from the visitors.

Further pressure under the Yarnbury posts led to an Andrew Thwaite pushover try, converted by Richards, to give an interval score of 20-5 to the home side.

The second half was a repeat of the first, with John Padley and Will Booth to the fore in tackling anything that moved, and young half-backs George Carr and Michael Thwaite controlling affairs.

Angus Carr scampered over from 30 metres for his second, and the bonus-point try, after pressure and slick handling created an overlap, but the loudest cheer of the day was reserved for Wood, who showed a clean pair of heels when surging clear near halfway to score under the posts, with both tries converted by Richards to complete the scoring.

This was a much-improved performance, albeit against weaker opposition, but will give North Ribb a confidence boost for Saturday's trip to Acklam, which is being targeted as an away win.

With several influential players still to make a start this season, gloom has been replaced by optimism.