A mixture of youth and experience saw York RI end their losing streak with a 15-8 Yorkshire Three victory against Stocksbridge.

Injuries and unavailability allowed Stuart Watson to return in the centre and Robin Grice, one of RI's promising juniors, filled the full-back position. With fellow juniors Tom Heslop and Ben Hobson already in the side and Craig Garnett and Elliot Richardson on the bench it was a young RI side that took the field.

The New Laners started well with Watson and Hobson making ground through the middle, Watson twice being hauled down just short of the line.

Although the visitors weathered the early storm, shrewd kicking by Matthew Yates kept pushing Stocksbridge back into their own 22. The pressure eventually told on the visitors and indiscipline gave Yates three penalty chances which he accepted to put RI 9-0 ahead.

Just before the break a raid by Stocksbridge captain Wilkinson almost eluded the RI defence but a superb tackle by Heslop stopped him short.

RI were well worth their half-time lead and increased it early in the second half with another Yates penalty.

Stocksbridge gradually began to claw themselves back into the game with their big pack pushing RI back. From one of these rolling mauls second row Oliver Walters managed to crash over.

Yates' fifth penalty with ten minutes remaining kept RI more than a score in front and all Stocksbridge could muster was a last minute penalty.

It was a good all-round performance from RI, especially the younger players who all had excellent games.

Updated: 10:20 Monday, February 16, 2004