Battling Wibsey avoid follow-on!

Aireborough ran up a 'cricket' score that would have tested the combined efforts of Duckworth and Lewis in this first round tie.

And with no scoreboard it wasn't surprising that mistakes were made in the counting.

Sid Matthews, who refereed the contest very sensibly, gave the official verdict as 105-0, but both the Aireborough officials and myself reckon another conversion went over in and among.

Wibsey only arrived for the tie with 14 men, deciding to operate with only one centre, and were unlucky to be reduced to 13 when hooker Graham Larkin re-dislocated his left collarbone in the 28th minute.

But Aireborough full back Paul Mackie had some words of comfort for their Bradford neighbours, saying: "They kept at it and didn't let their heads drop, but with 13 men it was always going to be very difficult.

"This was our record league win - we're counting it as 107-0 - bettering our 92-0 defeat of barnsley about 20 years ago. Our record defeat was 98-0 in the Aire-Wharfe Cup against Bradford and Bingley."

Wibsey skipper Steve Rose, who had to give his team a roasting at the interval to keep them going, said: "We decided to treat this match as a training exercise and concentrate on the league.

"We should be stronger next week for our Yorkshire Division Six opener at home to Knaresborough as we will have a few lads back from cricket and holidays.

"But we stuck at it well, though it obviously didn't help when Graham went off injured.

"We seem to be unlucky with injuries at the moment - Colin Robinson (fly half) and Micky ball (flanker or centre) have both had knee operations, and Bob Wood (prop) is waiting for one.

"Also Ian Walker is out with a knee injury, but Paul Garside should be coming back to our front row, and Tim hall will be available."

Fly half John Bottomley led the way with three tries for Aireborough, others coming from lock Paul Exley (2), No 8 Tony Exley (2), left winger James Williams (2), Mackie (2), centre Mike Neild, hooker and skipper Richard Leather, right winger Dave Sockett, flanker John Rhodes and replacement back Peter Booth.

The tally was made up with a penalty try, ten conversions by fly half Gwyn Jones and a drop-kicked conversion at the finish by Tony Exley.

Jones' place kicking was indifferent, however, as he missed six shots at goal, including three of his first seven.