Northallerton first team entertained mid-table York RI, keen on continuing their recent league form and produced their third league win in four games by beating the visitors 31-7.

North again produced an inconsistent performance but did more than enough to defeat a weary looking York team. Reece Kilbride was again looking dangerous on the wing and got the opening try following good work by Nathan Cannel, who was using all his experience and guile at the back of the scrums.

Richard Lonsdale and Martin Dennison also got onto the score sheet before half-time with York only managing the one breakaway try.

Doug Mulholland had a indifferent day at full back but still kicked two out of three conversions.

North started the second half sluggishly and looked like they were going to allow York back into the game. Then after ten minutes of the restart, Dennison stole the ball from a RI lineout and set the platform for a 20-yard rolling maul finished off by Don Stone, Mulholland again converting.

The remainder of the half was fairly quiet with neither team managing to make any clean breaks but both making plenty of errors.

Just before the end, with the crowd feeling the cold, North gave the spectators something to cheer about. More good work from Cannel in his own 22, sent the ball rocketing out to Jo Terry, who in turn fed Kilbride for him to race 40 yards before being tackled at RI’s 22.

With Nic Bainbridge leading the charge and being first in support, he recycled the ball to Ed Bulman who skipped past three RI players to score under the posts. Mulholland converted to make the final score 31-7.

The win moves North up to tenth in the table and hopefully clear of any relegation worries.

Northallerton second team were due to play York RI second team, but they unfortunately could not raise a team.

North ended up with a home game against Garforth first team, who have just dropped out of Yorkshire III. A hard game was expected by North II, and their fears were well founded but still managed a tough 27-17 victory.

North raced into a first-half lead of 17-0 thanks to three tries from Matty Bell, Mat Fishburn – who must be pushing for a first team recall – and Brian Tucker, with Tucker converting his own try.

Garforth rallied in the second half with two early tries before Tucker kicked a long range penalty to increase North’s lead.

Tucker then had to be replaced due to a head injury.

North then began to dominate proceedings with replacement Ian Townsend belittling his ageing years and 12-month enforced absence, with boundless energy and dangerous lines of running. It was from one of Townsend’s darting runs that the heaviest Northallerton player on the park, prop Liam Lincoln, got his try, crashing over from two yards out, Fishburn with the conversion.

Next week, North travel to table toppers and unbeaten league leaders Wath on Dearne, while the second team host York thirds and hopefully a third team will be raised to travel to play York fourths.

Second-placed Darlington’s game against Wallsend was postponed because of a frozen pitch, so the club’s players watched Gateshead ahead of the February 12 meeting that is likely to determine the race for the title.