SKIPTON AWAY

Northallerton 1st team travelled to play Skipton, who are having a difficult season after being relegated from Yorkshire 2 last season, but it was North who came away with a 22-0 victory.
North could only muster 15 starters plus 2 substitutes to travel, with the replacements being 17 year old Jedd Bainbridge and his father, 51 year old Nic 'Tank' Bainbridge.
North welcomed back 1st team vice captain Frank Johns from his 6 month break which helped North to settle the quicker of the two teams. Norths backs coped admirably with a very strong, blustery cross wind and Dougie Mulholland kicking ok-ish throughout most of the afternoon.
North took the lead midway through the 1st half with a try for the clubs top try scorer Greg Aspin, who linked well with Steve Lister before scoring in the corner. Ten minutes later Aspin was then sin binned for playing the ball whilst offside. The home side began to pressurise the North defence while they had the numerical advantage, but flankers Tom Wood and Will Park were more than equal to the challenge. Soon after the reintroduction of Aspin, Skipton were then penalised and reduced to fourteen men for ten minutes. Aspin took advantage and again combined with hairy Dan Luck and Lister to create another try, this time with Lister touching down out wide to send North in leading 10-0 at the break.
Both teams started the second half full of gusto, especially Skipton who were putting together some useful passing. Just as it looked like the home team were going to get back in the game, scrum half Patrick Thistlethwaite took a quick tap penalty and evaded two tacklers before racing 50 yards to score again in the corner. Again the conversion drifted wide in swirling wind.
North then made the double substitution bringing on both Bainbridges with 15 minutes left. The elder Bainbridge made an immediate impact in the scrummage with Skipton having no answer to his strength and guile. The rocksteady scrum provided a base for North to control the latter period of the game and create more scoring chances. One chance fell to Jedd Bainbridge who with the try line beckoning, unselfishly off loaded to Danny Grainger to score near the corner flag. Young Bainbridge stepped up to score the only conversion of the day from the acutest of angles. Final score 0-22. Skipton can count themselves unlucky not to get on the scoresheet as a try was the least their efforts deserved, but North were well worth the victory in the end.
Next week Northallerton 1st team are at home to Harrogate Pythons with a 2.15pm kick off.

Northallerton 2nd team had no fixture and decided not to seek one as many players were away watching the home nation games.
Next week North 2nds resume action at Darlington Mowden Park

This left Northallerton 3rd team at home to play Darlington in a close fought match with North emerging 24-12 victors.
Norths points came via tries from Sandy Grey, Charlie Wiggins, Adam Wright, and a try and 2 conversions from Hugh Hamilton in his last game before moving to fields afar. Flanker Ben England put in another useful display and has all the makings of a powerful number 8.
Next week North 3rds are away at Hartlepool Rovers.

Sent from my iPad H Johnson