Wibsey 47

Skipton 0

SHORT-HANDED Skipton continued to struggle, getting blanked by free-scoring Wibsey in a Yorkshire Three encounter on Saturday.

With five key players missing through illness or unavailability, struggling Skipton stood no chance of a turnaround in their fortunes on a bitterly cold day at Wibsey.

Wibsey kicked off down the slope with the wind and the sun behind them and had two tries in the first five minutes, the second of which was converted.

Skipton conceded a penalty for lifting the scrum and Wibsey tapped and ran in try number three.

A fourth try soon followed and the re-start kick did not go ten metres.

Swift hands from the base of the scrum back gave the home side a fifth try and they rounded off a strong first half with a sixth just before the break, giving them a lead of 40-0.

Jak Adams and Craig Bartlett came on for Skipton and the visitors fared much better in the second period, conceding only one further try.

Ra Neha, this week at centre for Skipton, used the slope well pinning Wibsey back onto their own line with tactical kicking.

Skipton came close twice with scrums just a few metres out but were unable to cross Wibsey's line.

Neha continued to pin the home side back but, despite receiving a yellow card, Wibsey ran in a seventh break-away try from a slick handling move.

The Skipton pack began to tire, losing two scrums against the head on Wibsey's line.

Wibsey received a second yellow card just minutes before time, but it was of no consequence.

A late run by Skipton was bundled into touch by the corner flag and the referee's whistle brought proceedings to a close.