REPORT BY: SIMON SMITH

IT was always going to be a big ask, taking on the league leaders, but Skipton pulled their best performance of the season out of the bag and had Corinthians worried, holding them to five tries to four and gaining two losing bonus points to aid their league position.

The slick and pacey Corinthians back-line won the day by a narrow one try margin, but Skipton's dominance at both scrum and line-out bodes well or the rest of the season.

Early probing kicks tested both sides, but quick hands from the Corinthians stand-off put them over for the opening try. A penalty soon followed and Skipton were 10-0 down.

The Reds came straight back with Corinthians conceding three straight penalties and picking up a yellow card. Skipton put the ball into the corner and from the rolling maul skipper Anthony Chapman at No. 8 was over for Skipton's first try. The reliable boot of stand-off Callum Patrick added the extras.

Skipton pressed their forward advantage home from a scrum five metres out, putting scrum-half Micael Tam in for try number two. A break-away converted try redressed the balance in Corinthians favour, but Skipton came back again with forward dominance. They put a penalty kick into the corner for a Corinthians high tackle and used the rolling maul again to put second-row Harry Maltby over for try number three. Patrick added the extras and the sides turned round at 19-17 in Skipton's favour.

James Wooler, son of prop Andrew, made his 1st team debut for Skipton after the break, replacing an injured Jamie Barker on the wing.

A stolen ball at the line-out close in by back-row Ed Harrison kept Corinthians out and two penalties to the home side saw them back on Corinthians line, where once again they used the rolling maul to put hooker Charlie Brown over for try number four, earning the try bonus point. Patrick added the extras.

The Corinthians stand-off chipped through the Skipton rush defence and the pacey back-line collected and ran in a third converted try. He was to use the same tactic twice more in the second period to win the game for Corinthians.

After the visitors fourth try, Skipton gained a penalty from the re-start and Patrick slotted the kick from long-range to level the scores at 29 all.

Skipton Coach Neil Spence made some changes to the Skipton pack, bringing on Joe Moorhouse, Carl Nicholson, Steve Carroll and Michael Smith.

A tense last five minutes followed, with Corinthians finally chipping through Skipton's defence again to secure a fifth try. The home side would not give up and were quickly back in Corinthians 22 again, where only an adjudged forward pass denied back-row Jordan Wilson a fifth try for Skipton.

The whistle blew at 36-29 in Corinthians favour and Skipton earned a further losing bonus point.