North Ribblesdale 45 Wheatley Hills 10

ALREADY relegated North Ribblesdale met old rivals Wheatley Hills in their final game in Yorkshire One. Wheatley had to win to stay up, but Ribb put in an inspired performance to take their opponents down with them.

Hills kicked off with a towering high kick, which they won. They used this possession to put Ribb under severe pressure for five minutes until John Padley won a loose ball to allow Ribb to clear.

Ribb won the line-out and made ground on the left. From ruck ball, Matt Speres dived over to score an unconverted try.

Ribb started to play some intelligent rugby, keeping the ball away from the big opposition pack, but once Wheatley got the ball, they used the massive Jamie Anson to drive into the Ribb midfield.

He was a handful to tackle but he could not get the breakthrough. Ribb's Ryan Sumner then made a break into the 22 and Padley dived over from the ruck for another unconverted try.

From the kick-off, the home side were attacking, and Tom Frik went close before David Fox sprinted over for a try converted by Mick Thwaite.

Ribb lost the kick-off from another hoisted restart and Wheatley had a spell of dominance using the rolling maul. However, they made little headway.

On the half hour, a Ribb breakout by Speres put Padley in for his second try. Wheatley then opened their account, with Dave Laycock finishing off a good break by Liam Butler for an unconverted try.

The home side had what seemed a comfortable 24-5 half-time lead, but they had come under a lot of forward pressure and only tenacious defence kept Hills out.

The second half gave Ribb the benefit of the breeze, but it was a similar pattern to the first with Wheatley keeping the ball for long periods in dangerous positions, but the home defence holding firm.

Inevitably the visiting pack began to tire, they were still potent in the scrum but were slower to the loose ball. Ribb punished them once again after winning the loose ball, and Jonny Moore shot over for a converted try on 55 minutes.

The best try of the game came after a break by Patrick Muller made space for Omari Kaup-Samuels to make ground on the left. He drew his man and passed inside to Will Booth for a converted try.

Wheatley forced a late try from a rolling maul but the home side's Adam Stubbs had the last word with a try on the stroke of full time.

A good win to finish off a disappointing season for Ribb, who must wish they had shown this kind of form earlier in the season.