Injury-plagued Rishies are beaten

They scored within 10 minutes and might still have been leading at the break but for a penalty try and a yellow card for Josh Kelly which left them trailing 19-13.

That seemed to knock the stuffing out of them and for the second half they were overwhelmed in the pack, looked rudderless in the backs and every time they put together a good move a sloppy error handed the initiative back to the home side.

Even their tackling, which had been a feature of their game, deserted them as Dinnington chalked up the tries.

It all started so well as Rishworthians dominated play. Fullback Doug Heseltine almost got through and then the ball was taken on again and finally came to No 8 James Clarke. He put in a storming break and charged over the line to score. In doing so he picked up a rib injury and had to go off.

Kelly converted, but the injury hoodoo had not finished and Tom Andrews limped off soon afterwards.

Dinnington hit straight back with a try wide out on the left, but Kelly extended the lead with two penalties.

Rishworthians defended a catch and drive attempt well, but a second drive brought a converted try to reduce the lead to one point.

On the stroke of half-time a pushover attempt brought the penalty try and that was it for the visitors.

Minutes into the second period poor tackling saw a try wide out and it was same story soon after with a try in the corner.

Newcomer Jack Fairbank had an outstanding game at flanker, as did Harvey Keighley-Payne until he too went off injured.

Jack Smart returned to the action off the bench after a two-year absence and made a determined effort.

In the backs there were some neat touches from Heseltine, right wing Luke Flanagan and especially replacement Sam Bake, also returning after injury.

The game was virtually over, however, and Dinnington rubbed salt in Rishworthian wounds as first they scored a try from lineout and on the stroke of time another in corner.