NORTH Ribblesdale claimed a coveted scalp at Grove Park on Saturday when they deservedly defeated Yorkshire Division One leaders Bridlington 16-11 in a tough, sometimes brutal, encounter.

Victory came courtesy of a superb first-half display that provoked a determined, physical response from the visitors, but the Dalesmen met the challenge head on and held on to win after a tense finale.

The Settle side began the contest on the front foot, and the visitors, through their own indiscipline, were incapable of changing it.

A variety of transgressions ensured that the home side enjoyed territorial supremacy and the second of Bryan McGeoch's early penalty chances gave his side the lead. The advantage was soon increased with a superb score.

Quality line-out ball was well used, with hooker Mike Robinson and prop Andrew Bradley punching holes and producing quick ruck ball before McGeoch's chip was gathered by centre Jonathan Richards, who touched down at the posts for McGeoch to convert.

The home pack then held a spell of Bridlington pressure before moving upfield again, where a break from a scrum by Ryan Kirkbride looked as though he would reach the line himself had he chosen not to send out a pass which went astray.

However, Ribblesdale held the position, put pressure on the visitors at a scrum and when that brought a yellow-card offence, McGeoch's penalty made it 13-0.

After the break, Bridlington opened impressively, with their pack battering down the middle to secure a position for Blank to open his side's account with a penalty.

Again the Dalesmen regrouped, gathered possession and regained their composure. Indeed it seemed that Stephen Cowperthwaite's pace had brought him the decisive second try, but his touchdown did not get official approval and Bridlington escaped.

The visitors then began to put pressure on Ribblesdale by spoiling ball at the base of the scrum and for a while the East Yorkshire side held the upper hand. They kicked deep and close to the Ribblesdale line, from where they engineered a fine try from a maul by lock Smith, Blank's conversion miss leaving his side trailing by five points.

That margin was slender, but the home club held their nerve and moved two scores clear again with McGeoch's third penalty, a well-struck 40-metre effort.

The 16-8 scoreline was the prelude to another spiteful riposte from Bridlington and this time the card was red for a stamping offence. Ribblesdale returned to the visitors' half, where McGeoch had a chance to increase his side's lead with a penalty.

His effort went across the posts and a now desperate Bridlington countered through a flurry of penalties, but again the home defence held, although a Blank penalty with three minutes to play took the game to the wire.