Playing with an unchanged back division and a pack with Ian Williams returning to hook between Matty Jones and Jamie Drayton, the men from Silver Royd took control from the start with a sweeping upfield movement from the threes taking them into the home 22.

A series of pick-up and drives saw EJ Jooste - who was playing in his favoured number eight position in the back row - release fly-half Phil Stewart who threaded through the heavy traffic on the blind-side to squeeze over in the corner for the opening try of the match in the 10th minute.

Matty Jones' touchline conversion narrowly missed and Scarborough led 5-0.

Scarborough continued to press through the forwards and Stewart dictated play from fly-half with a varied kicking game which kept the ball in front of his pack and found good field position to pressure Skipton deep in their own territory.

The home side were penalised in the 15th minute when hands at a ruck 30 metres from their line saw Jones slotted the resulting penalty for an 8-0 lead in the 16th minute.

The home side's continued indiscipline at the breakdown saw them penalised in the 25th and 31st minutes and they were further punished by the boot of Jones who completed a hat-trick of penalties to see the men from Silver Royd to a well-deserved 14-0 half-time lead.

Skipton quickly struck back after the break to reduce the arrears to 11 points and get a toe-hold in the game at 14-3 when fly-half Adam Oldfield kicked a long range penalty after Scarborough had infringed 35 metres from their own line in the 47th minute.

However, the visitors struck back almost immediately when Jones nudged his side 17-3 ahead with a long-distance penalty when Skipton infringed on their own 10 metre line.

Skipton then had their best period of the game but solid Scarborough defence, with Jooste and fellow back-rowers Louis Karl and Chris Purdy to the fore, kept the Scarborough line intact.

Full-back Graeme Jeffrey, half-backs Billy Freeman and Stewart and centres Ollier Hillier and Diena Morete also contributed to a solid defensive effort.

Their efforts were rewarded when an outrageous back-flipped pass from skipper Nick Ingham following a ruck on halfway, released winger Rob Squires who scampered up the touchline to cross to the right of the uprights. Jones added the extras for a 24-3 lead in the 66th minute.

The afternoon's entertainment ended with a consolation try for the home side when winger Al Naylor took advantage of a kindly bounce just inside the Scarborough half to sprint away and score near the posts in the 75th minute.