WITH no first or second team fixtures for the men's teams this weekend, it was left to Northallerton Ladies to carry the flag for Northallerton.

North Ladies travelled to the sunny seaside resort of Hornsea for their second friendly of the season, under the leadership of Natalie Gardener and 11 other enthusiastic players, and after a close and hard fought game, North returned with an excellent 14-7 victory.

North found the pairing of the seasoned veteran scrum half Gardner and the effervescent youthfulness of Ali O’Brien at fly half, a dynamic combination that caused Hornsea problems all afternoon.

This pairing also led to space for Amanda Collins and Emily Byfield, who both had a few promising runs.

The platform for the backs however was built by a dominant forward pack led by Steph Welford and Georgina Ashworth.

North's two tries came from O’Brien, who also converted both with aplomb.

Despite O’Brien's excellent performance, the player of the match award was shared between Georgina Ashworth and Amanda Collins.

Northallerton Ladies hope to have another friendly before Christmas, if not, the next one will be at home on Sunday, January 16, against Yarm Ladies at Brompton Lodge with a 2pm kick off. Any new, or former players are more than welcome, even if they want to test the water with a ten minute run out.