ROSS Crosby just managed to put his Appleyard Beta ahead of Glusburn builder Nathan Wrigglesworth by a single penalty on Sunday in Bradford DMC's John Metcalfe Trial at at windswept Cowling Cragg.

Trawden elevator engineer Crosby cleaned the last three sections on the course near Lumb Waterfall and that was a crucial when Wrigglesworth dropped a boot on lap one at the last section.

Burley's Sam Cahill and Oakworth's Darren Holmes won the clubman and 50-50 classes. Cahill was under threat from Howard Gulley and Mark Chippendale from section eight, where the clubmen started.

The observers maybe had their first taste of autumn as the almost gale force wind swept over from Lancashire. Only the hard route and 50-50 contenders dropped on to the first of six sections on the slopes of Carlton Cragg, where the wind blasted everything in sight.

Results – Hard course experts: 1 Ross Crosby (Beta) 4, 2 Nathan Wrigglesworth (Sherco) 5, 3 Daniel Shutt (Montesa) 62. Inters: 1 Thomas Rushton (Gas Gas) 15, 2 Ben Oughton (Gas Gas) 40. Novices: 1 Ben Butterworth (Montesa) 22, 2 Sam Boocock (Sherco) 42, 3 Tim Woodhead (Sherco) 52.

50/50 course novices: 1 Luke Standring (Gas Gas) 25, 2 Jimmy McCanna (Montesa) 34, 3 Adam McCanna (Montesa) 40. Over-40s: 1 Darren Holmes (Montesa) 24, 2 Phil Scott (Gas Gas) 31, 3 Mark Hartley (Gas Gas) 35. Youth Class B: Thomas Hartley (Beta) 38.

Clubmen novices: 1 Sam Cahill (Beta) 6, Richard Armstrong (Beta) 32, Richard Midgley (Beta) 35.

Over-40s: 1 Howard Gulley (Gas Gas) 12, 2 Mark Chippendale (Gas Gas) 13, 3 Graham Atkinson (Beta) 23.

Youth Class B: 1 Joel Holdsworth (Sherco) 62, 2 Josh Chew (Gas Gas) 92.