NOT for the first time in recent weeks York had the better of the game only to lose in the final minutes when their visit to West Hartlepool ended in a 21-17 defeat.

York's home game in a fortnight against Stockton represents a chance to redeem their North East One relegation-threatened position.

With a defensive record to match most in the league, the Clifton Parkers have to raise their scoring profile which is about the worst.

Missed tries apart, every match three or four kicks at goal are going astray costing vital match points and a three-point chasm has now opened up above the relegation zone.

At West Hartlepool York were without skipper Pete Curtis, Ben Quick and Sam Arkle, who had not recovered from the ailments that kept them out of last week's match.

Despite this, they were impressive in the early encounters, having a cohesion and drive that had been missing in recent weeks.

Their scrum was solid but the lineout work was less impressive and an early failure to take their own ball allowed West to kick themselves out of trouble.

York proceeded to concede a penalty for killing the ball and scrum half Davy Tighe made sure of the points to give his side a lead against the run of play.

After centre Rob Taylor had made a hefty burst, scrum half James Arkle kicked in to the West 22. Number 8 Ian Davies picked up to smash into the opposition defence and York won a penalty for Mike Ford to level the scores.

Wayward kicking by the home side enabled Ford to field the ball and run strongly back through the opposition defence. Lock Brad MacDonald was almost clear and a score seemed inevitable when centre Sean Bass broke down the right but the final pass was bungled.

West were conceding penalties and, after a miss, Ford gave York the lead right on the half hour.

York were now in their best period of the match and Bass put 18-year-old student Jon Kemp away on the right. The winger, a product of York's powerful junior section, took his chance with pace, swerve and strength but Ford could not make the conversion.

The second half opened with West clearly intent on using a strengthening breeze to gain position. York helped this strategy pay off by conceding penalties which were a gift to a kicker of the calibre of Tighe. Twice in ten minutes he obliged to cut York's advantage to 11-9.

Ford extended the lead and York gained an bonus when the home skipper was sinbinned for mouthing at the referee. York appeared to be exploiting the benefit as they combined to move down the left and switched play to the right when an intruding forward dropped the ball only for it to bounce kindly into the hands of sub winger, Darren Thomas, who sped clear down the wing to score an unconverted try which levelled the scores at 14-14.

Ford and Tighe exchanged penalties but, inside the last ten minutes, Tighe, the host's most influential player, showed his class with a big break from his own half up to the York 22. He fed right winger Steve Black who was held five metres short, but as West mauled forward, Tighe was on hand to dummy over under the posts. His conversion sealed the home side's win.

Updated: 09:58 Monday, December 08, 2003