York RI defended heroically at times but this was not enough to stop them slipping to 27-14 Yorkshire Two defeat at Huddersfield YMCA.

The game was only five minutes old when RI found themselves 6-0 down, YMCA No 10 Morton kicking two penalties.

RI's chances were not helped by a series of handling errors, one of which, after 20 minutes, resulted in YMCA's talented winger, Vince Fatu, bursting through the RI line and passing to Jamies Fielden to score under the post.

Morton converted to give YMCA 13-0 half-time lead.

RI's second-half display was marginally better than the first but, although they tackled manfully, every time they made ground - which they did on many occasions through Austin, Casey and Fotu - handling errors let them down.

They went further behind on the hour when Morton scrambled over from a ten-metre scrum. His conversion gave YMCA a 20-0 lead.

RI, however, are not a side to give in and reduced the arrears when wing forward Ashley Casey held off three defenders to crash over near the posts, Armstrong converting.

RI now started to make inroads into the YMCA defence and reduced the arrears further when Manu Fotu scored out wide. Armstrong again converted to make the score 20-14.

It appeared at this stage that RI might have rescued a game they were always chasing but their hopes were sunk when Tekori Luteru scored on the stroke of time. Morton's third conversion gave YMCA a 27-14 win.

Updated: 12:14 Monday, October 22, 2001