York lost their final home game in the Powergen North Division 2 East by 19-8 to West Hartlepool.

It leaves them one last chance to salvage any pride when they visit bottom club Northern on the Saturday after Easter.

The hosts began the game like kings but ended up paupers. Within minutes they scored a wonderfully constructed try when Andy Kay broke from a scrum in midfield and the ball was fed to Steve Moss-Blundell who powered down the left wing.

Kay followed up to recycle the ball right where number eight Ian Davies brushed aside the visitors' centres to touch down. Tom Copeland failed to add the extras.

Unfortunately York never touched the same heights again as their familiar errors of losing possession and lack of vision checked impact. Only a tackle by centre Sam Arkle halted West's fly-half David Tighe.

But worse followed. Lock Brad MacDonald made an excellent break into the Hartlepool half only for a reckless pass to find an opponent's hands. Hartlepool surged forward for centre Alan Milne to crash over. Tighe added the kick.

Copeland kicked an offside penalty expertly to trim the arrears, Tighe missing a brace of similar opportunities before half-time.

Almost straight after the resumption Hartlepool exploited a huge gap on the blind side for right-winger Paul Millar to stride 50 yards to the posts. Tighe kicked the conversion.

York's ball retention remained poor and their line-out began to crumble just as the visitors added a try from Peter Hodgson.

York had a penalty chance, but the squad couldn't muster a tee for Copeland, whose kick out of the mud missed. It summed up a wretched display.

Updated: 09:55 Monday, April 05, 2004