The pigs made the better start of the two, scoring early on when a long kick trickled over the try line inviting Joe Jones (sponsored by Phil Watts) to gallop down the wing and ground the ball.

They failed to keep focussed after the restart, however, as the home side immediately responded with a try of their own. The number 12 slipped through a gap in the defence and wrong-footed the covering player to run in for a score. A missed conversion left Stocksbridge with a slender lead at 7-5.

It wasn’t long before Northallerton took the lead. After a Stocksbridge scrum fell apart close to the line they could only repel a handful of pick and go’s until the try came.

They would add a further score shortly afterward. The forward pack gained momentum down the left flank, before the resulting overlap was utilised with an effective miss pass to the winger with a free run in to the line.

It would be Stocksbridge who would have the last say of the half with a pick and go score of their own. In his first act as coming on from the bench Michael Hartley (sponsored by Hartley Haulage) held his nerve to hit his man at the line out, and again to twist out of a tackle to ground the ball.

Stocksbridge intended to put the first score down in the second half, however it was Northallerton who stretched their lead to ten points with a penalty after offside was penalised at the breakdown.

Northallerton increase their advantage again with a further two pick and go tries after their driving maul efforts were thwarted by the Stocksbridge pack. The scores now at 36 - 12.

Bridge showed their potency when in the opposition 22 as a kick through in goal was pounced on by James Proctor (sponsored by Access Consulting plc).

The result was confirmed in the final ten minutes as Northallerton scored two further tries. Both heart breaking for the away side as two deflections saw the ball fortunately find an attacker in space to score the try, making the final result 50-19.

Ben Brown (sponsored by Sid’s Fish Bar) received the Man of the Match award, succeeding to interrupt the Northallerton with multiple turnovers at the breakdown.

Match report by Michael Quinn