It's joy for Aireborough as they seal their second promotion

Sealing their second promotion in as many years Aireborough have now cemented their climb up the Yorkshire League system once again as they battled it out in a scrappy Leeds derby with fourth placed Bramley.

With the win at Bramley seeing the completion of this season's main aim of gaining promotion Aireborough still have the Yorkshire Silver Trophy semi-final on Saturday at home to Guisborough and the Aire-Wharfe Cup competitions to concentrate on.

As Bramley began the scoring with a penalty conversion it was the rough, up the jumper game plan from the home side which disrupted Aireborough and forced mistakes.

But, as the open play set pieces and forwards moves came apart it was the scrums and line-outs which won their own and the oppositions ball for Aireborough.

With no doubtedly the biggest front row in the league Bramley's one, two and three still succumbed to the pressure of Aireborough's experienced front row of Baxter, Craven and Carbutt, with scrum-half Tom Holdsworth eventually delivering some decent ball for brother Nick at stand-off.

So, with the extra possession from scrums it was the line-out jumping of flanker Phil Beddard and Stewart Brewer who won some quality ball from hooker Craven; the Aireborough hooker later finding out the pain down the side of his face was a fractured eye socket.

As Aireborough winger Stocker used his almost perfect boot to convert two penalties before the end of the first-half the away side were left with a six point advantage at the half-way point.

With a stern word or two coming from player-coach Tony Smith at half-time, Aireborough entered the second-half all guns blazing.

The introduction of Nield at scrum-half brought clean ball from the ruck area, thus resulting in stand-off Nick Holdsworth going over the line underneath the posts after only two minutes after a bit of his own flair and initiative, Stocker once again kicking the conversion.

Some spoiling tactics from Bramley resulted in their captain receiving a yellow card for a red card offence soon after, Stocker receiving a punch right in front of the home and away supporters.

Bramley gave clean ball to a quick left winger making Aireborough put in some serious tackles in order to keep out the scores.

Stocker converted another penalty conversion, this one just short of the half-way, and Aireborough were now gaining points.

As Bramley created overlap after overlap it was the third chance which they finally took advantage of, the captain adding the conversion to give them a ten point total.

With only another penalty conversion from Stocker, Aireborough were left to defend the title right the way until the end.

The final whistle coming a while after this it was the hard graft of forwards like Helm, Fall, Carbutt, Davidson and Brewer and the boot of Stocker who won one of the toughest games of the season for Aireborough.

Some good performances came from ever improving centre Nathan Smith, winger Stocker and substitute Nield which see Aireborough's strength and depth throughout the club getting better every week, with many of the second team pushing for places in the championship winning side.