Yorkshire Division One: Bradford Salem 33 North Ribblesdale 29

FEW saw the exciting finish that ensued when Bradford Salem were leading 28-0 after 30 minutes of this Yorkshire Division One derby.

In the end, the hosts were left hanging on when they were 33-29 in front for four minutes of normal time and five minutes of injury time.

"Another five minutes and we would have won it," reckoned Ribb centre Jonny Moore, son of the former Bradford & Bingley No 8 of the same name who was among the spectators.

Ribb only converted two of their six shots at goal, but Moore added: "None of them were easy."

It brought an end to five successive defeats for Salem – four in the league and one in the Yorkshire Shield – but it was not one for the faint-hearted.

"We must learn that a game of rugby lasts for 80 minutes, 90 minutes rather than 40 minutes," admitted Salem coach Neil Spence.

"But we are very disappointed that we let them get two bonus points."

In the first half, Salem ran in four tries, all of which were converted by fly half Matt Booth, and two of the tries came from the best pieces of continuity I have seen all season.

Their second try came from centre Andy Robinson after what first-XV manager Mark Smith counted was 16 phases, while the third try by left winger Conor Malarkey, who appeared on the wrong wing, came after another attack of double-figure phases.

"It is something that we have talked about in training," admitted Spence.

"Any attack that contains five, six or seven phases usually results in a try."

Against a backdrop of ctackling fireworks against a largely cloudless sky and an intermittent sprinkling of rain, Salem got off to a great start, with lock Chris Watson going over in the left corner and Booth nailing the conversion.

Nine minutes later, full back Ryan Smith crossed, with Booth's conversion making it 14-0.

Ribb winger David Fox was then short with an optimistic long penalty, and Salem survived conceding a penalty and an additional ten metres before Robinson and Malarkey took Salem to their bonus point for four tries, with Booth's boot making it 28-0.

It was looking like another long afternoon for the visitors, who had leaked 50 points or over against York, Moortown and Keighley.

Robinson had a try disallowed on 40 minutes, but two things went Ribb's way before half-time with Salem No 8 Christian Baines going off with what turned out to be a broken ankle two minutes later and Ribb lock Andy Thwaite scoring in the right corner in the fifth and last minute of injury time.

Ribb were a different team in the second half, and Malarkey needed to pull off a fine tackle in front of the stand soon after the interval to stop winger Tom Frik.

But the visitors were not to be denied for long, with a well-controlled attack resulting in a 49th-minute try for Fox in the right corner after a final pass from Frik.

With Salem almost exclusively on defensive chores, it was a surprise when Booth intercepted in midfield and almost went half the length of the field himself before the ball was recycled for centre Harry Hall to go over on the right.

That 58th-minute score was looking even more crucial the way the rest of the half panned out as game former Colne & Nelson centre Ryan Sumner went over seven minutes later, with Fox converting.

The visitors, whose scrum was increasingly dominant, doubtless helped by the absence of Baines and the introduction of Ribb veteran John Thwaite, then won a succession of penalties in the home 22.

With Ribb spectators calling for referee Dean Walker (South Yorkshire Society) to hand out a yellow card and/or a penalty try, the pressure told when scrum half Peter Cook scored in the 73rd minute.

Salem supporters were getting nervous by now, and their anxiety only heightened when full back Liam Wallbank charged down winger Dan Scarbrough's clearance kick and picked up to score.

Fox's conversion made it 33-29 with those four minutes of normal time and five minutes of additional time to play, but Salem held out for what was a much-needed win in an unexpectedly exciting finish.

Salem are still 11th (or fourth from bottom if you prefer) but they are now seven points above a relegation place.

Ribb, meanwhile, have picked up seven points from their last two matches (they beat Selby 34-5 the previous weekend to climb off the bottom and put the North Yorkshire side there instead) ahead of five successive matches over the next six weeks against teams that are currently in the top five.