EXPERIENCE triumphed over enthusiasm as YMCA lost bravely 27-13 to North Ribblesdale in Yorkshire II.
For an hour, there was very little to choose between the teams, Ribblesdale scoring a couple of late tries to seal the points.
It was not a bad display from an under-strength YM side, who in the end were again outgunned in the forwards.
It was 25 minutes before the deadlock was broken, Ribblesdale inside centre Milne darting over to the left of the posts. He then missed the conversion.
Despite the YM backs looking capable, the visitors scored again from a forward surge but Milne again missed the kick and it was 10-0 at half time.
Fom the start of the second half YM went onto the attack and, shortly after the re-start, Neil Walker executed a beautifully worked solo effort to get the home side on the board.
Playing at scrum half, the old campaigner nipped round the touchline side of a ruck and working in a very tight margin, chipped the ball over the head of the defending winger, rounded him and collected the ball before racing to the line for a super try in the left corner.
Gavin Stead rose to the occasion and landed a long kick to add the to extra points and put his side right back in the game.
The euphoria was shortlived, however, as within minutes a now dominant Rib pack pushed the YM scrum back over their own line for their No8, Carr, to get the touchdown. Milne added the extras and the visitors once again had a 10-point cushion.
YM’s already lengthy injury list was added to when Neil Pollock and Fabio Leone-Mazza both went off to be replaced by Sam Hodge and university scrum half Tom Lockwood, who was making his debut, which allowed Walker to move to his more familiar role at No8.
Stead again brought hope for the Laund Hill men with two successful penalties reducing the deficit to 17-13.
Suddenly YM looked to have found some self belief, but it didn’t last long and they allowed the visitors to take charge again with a gift try – Milne intercepting a pass and racing clear. He also added the conversion and dropped a late goal to wrap things up.
Team: Horner, Stead, Beever, Williams, Smith, Swift, Walker, Dyke (Steve), Dyke (Stu), Whitehead, Waldron (Hellawell 65mins), Housley, Doyne, Pollock (Lockwood 51mins), Leone-Mazza (Hodge 54mins).
