Yorkshire Division Five: Thirsk 17 Wibsey 36

WIBSEY'S team celebrated the fact that this match was played in the middle of Thirsk Racecourse by dressing up as jockeys afterwards (some even brought their own 'horses' too), and they certainly had the whip hand over their cellar dwelling hosts on the pitch too.

"If we managed to beat the top of the table (Hornsea), then we should certainly beat the team at the bottom of the table," said Wibsey's team manager Steve Brooke.

The visitors' travel plans didn't run smoothly, however, and they didn't arrive until 2.20pm, five minutes after they should have kicked off, with the referee giving them just ten minutes to get ready. 

Having had no warm-up didn't seem to affect Wibsey, however, as they took the lead in the fourth minute with a try by Bruce Mpofu.

But Thirsk hit back with a converted try and a penalty, though this only served to sting Wibsey into action as hooker Mark Darragh, flanker Chris Farley and lock David Wilkinson - his first in four years - to secure a four-try bonus point, James Sawyer adding a conversion to give the visitors a 22-10 lead at the break.

Sawyer was more successful after the break, converting tries by Bryn Worsley and Wilkinson before Thirsk completed the scoring with a converted try in the 55th minute.

It only remained for Wibsey, who rose two places to fourth, to show their defensive prowess with 14 men, keeping their line intact despite the sin-binnings of Simeon Birkbeck and Ryan Taylor.

CJ Vogel (forwards) and Worsley (backs) won Wibsey's man of the match awards.