CITY of York Ladies gained valuable points in their final home game of the North League season, with a 3-2 victory over Whitley Bay.

Fighting to avoid relegation, York began with an attacking formation and took a two-goal lead in the first 17 minutes when Sally Sleightholme scored following a penalty corner and then forced the ball home in a goalmouth scramble.

But York were indebted to emergency 'keeper Dawn Hopkins, normally a forward player, who made several good saves as Whitley Bay threatened on the break, and the visitors were also denied when a fierce shot struck a York goalpost.

With Kate Longbotham defending well, York seemed to have the game sewn up in the second half when Karen Howells finished superbly from Kate Rorrison's cross for their third goal but some slack marking then allowed Whitley Bay to score twice. York's answer was to play an extra defender for the last ten minutes to ensure the win.

York complete the season with two away games, looking for points against fellow strugglers Winnington Park and Sheffield.

In the Yorkshire League, City of York II lost 5-0 at Leeds University in division two, while in division six City of York III lost 3-1 at home to Sheffield IV, Vicky Blair scoring for York.

In division seven, City of York IV lost 5-0 to a strong St John's College side.

Acomb Ladies I made up for a disappointing result last week at Lockwood Park with a battling 3-3 draw with promotion chasing Bingley Bees.

Acomb found themselves 3-0 down at half time - a string of breaks from defence, leading to penalty corners for Bingley saw them bag three goals in ten minutes.

After half time, a defensive clearance from Wendy Watson found right winger Kerry Rafton. She fed the supporting Vicky Burden, who played the ball into the 'D' for Sally Kelsey to take on the defence and pass to centre forward Anne Hagyard, whose reverse stick shot went into the top right-hand corner.

Then when a short corner strike from Kerry Rafton wasn't cleared by the Bees 'keeper, Gemma Halls saw the rebound shot cleared off the line before Hagyard netted her second goal.

Bingley tried to regain control of the game but Hagyard grabbed the equaliser with her hat-trick goal with about nine minutes left.

An injury to one of Acomb's

defenders stopped the game for some time while the emergency services were called and that took the sting out of the rest of the game and no more goals were scored.

Updated: 12:50 Tuesday, March 12, 2002