York's Saturday League teams suffered one of their worst rounds of matches in living memory.

With York'A' not playing it was left to the other three teams

to fly the flag and try and achieve some festive glory.

York 'B' and York 'C' both had difficult away trips to Sheffield 'B' and 'C' respectively.

York 'B' faced a strong side and lost by five points to three, but the

result could have been very different.

The match started badly when York lost on board eight, but Eric Key played a fine attacking game to win on board two to level the match.

With most games in the balance

the result could have gone either way.

Paul Johnson drew on board three, but then York's board five lost and Norman Andrews lost a complex game to one of the countries leading blind players, Norman Wragg.

In the three remaining games York's players battled hard but nobody could convert good posi tions and all the games fizzled out to draws and the match was even tually lost.

York 'C' were never in the running against Sheffield 'C' and lost by 5 to 2 points.

The strength in depth of the Sheffield team proved the critical factor and they won on boards six, seven and eight.

York's top boards were not able to compensate for this and only three players avoided defeat.

Neville Pearce and Sri Sriharan both won and Martin Cook had an impressive draw on board two.

York 'D' had a tough match away to West Leeds.

West Leeds are a new club formed from the shambles that was Leeds and the team is far too strong for the fourth division and probably the third division as well.

York 'D' once again had a strong contingent of junior players, including Robert Gair who made his debut.

Unfortunately only one junior, Tom Anderson, and Graham Marshall managed to pick up draws and the team lost by seven points to one.

In the York Evening League Division Two, Nowhere Men had a last gasp revenge win against Danger Squares, Paul Usher winning the last game to finish to clinch the match 3 to 2 points.

Earlier Paul Brookes and Rachel Mothersgill had won for Danger Squares, while Tim Chapman and Laurence Cornhill had won for Nowhere Men.

They later won in fine style resuting his opponents' exchange sacrifice and at one stage he needed to leave his queen en prix.