INJURY-hit North Ribblesdale are hoping to have some players back for their first league fixture of the new year.

Ribb, who are in the higher of the two relegation berths in Yorkshire Division One, will be strengthened for the trip to eighth-placed Bradford Salem on Saturday, January 7 by the return of Matt Speres and Jonny Moore.

Speres has hardly figured at all since an operation in the summer to clear out a knee, but was pressed into service on the wing on Saturday, December 10 in Ribb's 34-7 defeat at basement boys Yarnbury – who are only below the 13th-placed Settle club on games won.

Ribb's coach Craig Eccleston explained: "Matthew was supposed to have been on the bench that day but we ended up playing him on the wing.

"However, Salem away should be his first proper game back in the forwards, although we might play him at No 8 rather than at hooker."

Also expected to return is skipper Moore, who missed the 17-13 league defeat at home to Acklam and the 57-13 Boxing Day setback against a Wharfedale Development XV due to a shoulder injury.

If Speres and Moore are probables to return, a possibility is centre David Shepherd, who has had hamstring trouble.

Out for the longer term, however, are full back Jonathan Richards and knee- injury victims David Fox and Mick Carr.

Despite their struggles for numbers leading up to Boxing Day, Ribb managed to get a full squad of 22 for their traditional fixture against Wharfedale, albeit fielding largely a second team against the Green Machine's third team.

Eccleston said: "We ended up with four first-teamers starting – Richard Lynn at tight-head prop, Ian Close at hooker, Andy Thwaite in the second row and Josh Long on the wing.

"Simon Spensley was skipper and he opted to play down the slope with the wind first, and it was a very windy day.

"We were trailing at half-time but had managed tries by Close, after a penalty kick to the corner and a driven line-out, and loose-head prop Chris Lambert from a pick and go.

"We also managed to get the last try of the game, again from Lambert, after another pick and go.

"We had parity in the set-piece and it was good for me as a coach to watch some of the younger lads from the second team, three of whom I hadn't seen play before.

"Also there was a decent crowd, and it will have done players from both clubs good to have played in such a good atmosphere."