YORK'S 16-9 Yorkshire League One defeat at Yarnbury will count as an opportunity missed.

Despite playing into a strong wind, York had the best of the game for an hour until they lost momentum and Yarnbury finished strongly.

York's early supremacy was built on good combined forward play supported by some deft tactical kicks from fly-half Mark Roberts.

Lee Denham provided some robust bursts and Mike Ford intervened from full back with sidestepping runs.

However, whenever York gained possession, they carelessly gave away penalties. After eight minutes Yarnbury fly-half Steve Galbraith put his side in the lead when York handled on the ground. Then, the defining moment of the match, and possibly York's entire season, came after 15 minutes when, with York on the attack, an ambitious blind reverse pass went astray and Galbraith collected a kick deep to the York line. Sam Arkle failed to secure the rolling ball and speedy Yarnbury winger Jim Bramham was impeded as he was about to collect and score. Galbraith converted the inevitable penalty try.

The match continued to be fiercely contested with both defences taking a battering but holding firm. Yarnbury used the wind to kick for position but Ford was always ready to run it back into attack.

However, after 30 minutes, Yarnbury went further ahead when York gave Galbraith another opportunity to show the reliability of his boot. York pressed with continuous handling moves and scrum-half James Arkle made a couple of breaks but tended to take injudicious options.

Nevertheless, York were playing well enough to give hope that, with the benefit of the wind, they could reverse the deficit in the second half. And they started promisingly with constant pressure on the Yarnbury line which earned them two quick Ford penalties.

However, York didn't have the variety of attack to break down the Yarnbury defence.

As the last quarter approached, York had the chance to get within a try of Yarnbury when they went offside. Unaccountably, York spurned the kickable penalty and took a tap ball. Ironically, they lost possession and Yarnbury cleared into the York half.

York were never the same again and the force was clearly with Yarnbury.

Galbraith extended their lead from a York offside penalty. Ford countered five minutes later to leave a tense last five minutes. But York could not mount an attack to threaten their opponents' line.

It was a real shock for York as they remain in the bottom half of the league some six points off the promotion spots.

All is not yet lost but, currently, they lack the penetration against the better sides to create tries when they have the opposition on the retreat.