YORK progressed to the second round of the NPI Cup by beating Yorkshire One rivals Yarnbury 26-22 at Clifton Park.

The margin was rather more comfortable than the score suggests as Yarnbury added seven points in injury time but York never quite managed to dominate in what was often a scrappy and featureless encounter.

York certainly had an encouraging start as the forwards, notably Nick Hare and Matt Halifax, combined well but it was a long kick into the Yarnbury 22 by scrum half Nigel Durham that gave York their first try. Yarnbury were penalised at the ensuing line-out and Halifax fed Adi Martin on the burst and took a return pass to score near the posts. Tom Copeland converted.

Five minutes later York's lead was reduced to 7-3 when they were penalised for diving into a ruck and fly-half Steve Galbraith converted.

This spurred Yarnbury on and it required good defence from the home side with flanker Jim Hawcutt's pace to the tackle a feature.

York continued to have promising attacks but were unable to sustain sufficiently co-ordinated periods of play to produce a score although Lee Denham nearly burst through. York had to be content with another Copeland penalty which seemed to be sending them to half-time with a comfortable 10-3 lead.

However, in a lengthy period of added time, Yarnbury kicked harmlessly into the York 22 where the York defence over-elaborated with a switch move which saw the ball go astray, allowing Yarnbury right winger Paul McNulty to stride over for a Galbraith converted try.

York had a fast start to the second period with a Copeland penalty followed by a series of assaults on their opponents' line. Centre Sean Bass finally claimed the try when his powerful short burst through crowded traffic took him over the line. Copeland's conversion hit the post but at 18-10 York seemed to be on the march again.

But it needed a good tackle from Mike Ford to halt a move on the left but York were finally forced to concede a five metre scrum. In the ensuing loose play Galbraith kicked high and wide to the right where McNulty gathered to score unopposed but too far out for Galbraith to convert.

York struck back from the restart as Durham, on half way, fed flanker Brad Macdonald who broke clean through the advancing Yarnbury forwards to evade the despairing tackle of the Yarnbury full back and score an astonishing try. Copeland couldn't convert but added a penalty soon after to take York to a 26-15 lead.

In the last five minutes York prop Martin and his opposite number were sin-binned and deep in added time Yarnbury No 8 Ian Moule fed scrum half Andy Cowley for a try near the posts. Galbraith converted.

York should take heart from a victory over future League opponents. More particularly, in the pace and strength of Denham and Macdonald they have, with Hawcutt's tigerish mobility, a back row that should stand up to most tests.

The front row, with Martin having probably his best game for the club, held its own.

Outside, the defence was good and newcomer Martin Ford at fly half was an effective distributor and has the boot, if better directed, to clear pressure from defence.

Updated: 11:36 Monday, September 17, 2001