Now is the time for York Wasps youngsters' to come of age if they are to get their season back on track.

ABLE CAIN: York's Mark Cain takes on Rochdale full back Phil Waring

Yesterday's 24-14 defeat at Rochdale Hornets was their fourth in the opening five game and leaves them third from bottom of the Northern Ford Premiership.

It was another disappointing display after an opening spell which promised so much. For the first 10 minutes York had looked the better side but their heads soon dropped after Rochdale scored their first try.

Robinson put that down to inexperience and immaturity and said: "We have a lot of young players and the average age of the side is very young. I still think we've got a side capable of achieving more but you've got to be realistic.

"They are on a learning curve and it is going to take time. We just need one or two people to mature quickly to keep steady heads when things are going wrong.

"We looked a different side for 10 minutes as soon as they scored their first try. Heads went down, too many, which resulted in them picking up their game and doubling the woe by scoring again. You can't come away to quality sides and give them a 10 points start because you're feeling sorry for yourself.

"We've got to stand up and be counted and not let ourselves be bullied."

The Wasps chief was satisfied with the performance of the pack but admitted they had lost the half-back battle.

Andy Preston partnered Mark Cain with regular scrum-half Darren Callaghan dropping back to full-back. And the new pairing were no match for the Rochdale duo of Danny Wood and Dane Dorahy who ran the show.

"I know the quality we have got and it's not for me to knock them. I've got to try and get their confidence back and get them back to where they were," said Robinson, referring to Cain, Callaghan and Preston.

"The try will have done Mark good. He's still trying to get his form back after his long suspension and I keep seeing glimpses of what we're after but then I keep seeing things we don't want.

"What we need is steady heads to help him through it because he's trying to organise us and keep us on the game plan."

Of his decision to switch Preston and Callaghan in the closing stages he explained: "Daz did well at full-back and Andy was trying to take us forward but Daz had more in his legs in the last 10 minutes to find that gap if any were going to come."

The players looked distraught as they trooped back to the tunnel after the game, among them hooker Gareth Dobson.

He was gutted by their performance and summed up the problem when he said: "We keep making the same mistakes every week."

One positive feature was the debut of New Earswick All Blacks second rower Lee McTigue who played the last half hour after coming on as a replacement for Andy Hill.

Playing his first game since breaking his jaw two months ago and his first ever game at this level, the amateur international did not look out of place.

He gave the Wasps bench a scare when he went down with a leg injury just two minutes after coming on but recovered to complete a promising debut.

He earned praise from Robinson who said: "He defended well and took the ball up as we wanted him to do. He made one or two mistakes which he'll learn from and correct but it's a pleasing performance. He went well and will be in contention again next week."

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