An emphatic Medics team put Skipton to the slaughter

Travelling Skipton suffer heavy defeat

Yellow and red cards within minutes of each other early in the first half and a second yellow card after the break put paid to any chance for Skipton, who played for 20 minutes with 13 men and 55 minutes with 14.

The dry and sunny conditions at Sheffield University's Norton Playing Fields made for open running rugby and, although starting well with some robust forward play, Skipton were soon struggling against the Medics pacey back line. An early knock-on by the visitors gave Medics the scrum. They put the ball out wide and gained a penalty at the breakdown which they tapped and ran to go over for their first try.

Despite a great break by Skipton No. 8 Mark Davison (Seddon and Davison) from the first line-out after the re-start, Skipton conceded a penalty for not releasing. Dissent to the referee earned the visitors a yellow card and, when second-row Andy Wooler (Yorkshire dales Ice Cream) received a red card a few minutes later for a high tackle, Skipton's game was effectively over.

With two men down, Skipton saw the Medics run in a further five tries in the first half, including two interceptions from Skipton counter attacks, and the sides turned round with the Medics having a 40 point lead.

Despite a try saving tackle by skipper Hamish Munro (RN Wooler) at full-back early in the second half, Skipton's woe continued with three further Medics tries, until Coach Craig Bartlett (Pure Travel/WBW) took to the field, with Jordan Wilson (WBW), Darren Greenwood and Tom Allsopp (Castlefield Cosmetics) coming into the pack.

A second yellow card for Skipton for a shoulder charge deepened the gloom and five further Medics tries followed, including a tap penalty on the stroke of full-time to end a depressing afternoon for Skipton.