POCKLINGTON sealed a hard-earned 16-9 Yorkshire Two victory over old rivals Ripon with the only try 12 minutes from time.

Already without a couple of key backs through illness, Pocklington lost three front line forwards in the first hour of the game due to injury.

But they came up with the winning try when backs Charlie Allen and Sam Butcher carved Ripon open and No 8 Dan Wilson steamed up in support to score, Kevin Bowling converting.

Pocklington still had to go through the mill in the dying minutes, including having Matt Davies sin-binned for killing the ball, but their patched up pack kept going to the end.

Earlier, Pock had enough pressure and chances to have been out of sight by the end of the first quarter. But they failed to get points on the board until Bowling's 25th minute penalty.

Ripon then scored with Kiwi stand-off Robbie Rua on target with two penalties - before Bowling equalised with a penalty.

Rua and Bowling swapped second-half penalties, then Pock's resources were stretched as skipper Matt Atkinson, lock Mark Biggin and prop John Paul Kelly all departed injured before Wilson's try set up a tense finish.

Updated: 10:40 Monday, September 05, 2005