Yorkshire Division Three: Baildon 20 Northallerton 15

THREE home fixtures have resulted in three wins, giving second-placed Baildon a kick-start to the season, the latest coming against out-of-form Northallerton.

A sunny afternoon at Jenny Lane was perfect for running rugby, and Baildon set up the position with a drive from a line-out catch by Tom Peel, JJ O'Connell kicking to the corner.

Northallerton were then pressured into error, and the ball was spun wide from Baildon's scrum, Luke Strauss finding himself in space, only ti tumble to the ground with the try-line open.

O'Connell then failed in similar fashion after hacking ahead, and then the usually reliable Robbie Hill dropped a try-scoring pass, and it took rthe boot of O'Connell to eventually put Baildon ahead with a penalty.

A soft penalty, after Peel was ajudged to have been tackled, regaining his feet without releasing the ball, made it 3-3, but Baildon were soon ahead again.

Northallerton rushed their clearance from the kick-off, and Matty Robinson kicked ahead. Luke Strauss put the visiting defence under pressure, and Robinson picked up the spilt ball to stride under the posts, O'Connell converting for 10-3. 

Baildon, penalised for going offside at rucks and collapsing scrums, blew another chance of a try when Luke Strauss went to ground, but bagged their second try when Sam Simons scored after good work by Ryan Kershaw and Peel.

Northallerton, bouyed by the introduction of Joe Ockleton from the bench, finished the half strongly, and Baildon started the second half nervously, receiving a team warning to match that given to the visitors in the first half.

Baildon's Will Tomlinson was yellow carded for bringing down a maul, leading to a converted try for Northallerton, and, with the hosts perhaps lucky not to have another man sin-binned for persistently conceding penalties, the visitors scored another try to make it 15-15. 

The Baildon of last season would have folded, but, with Peel doing plenty of good work among the forwards, the hosts established a three-on-one for Robinson to score.

There was time for one last Nothallerton assault, but Baildon nicked the ball and cleared to touch, bringing an end to an exciting contest.