Just champion

York RI, Selby and Scarborough made it a promotion hat-trick for North Yorkshire on Saturday.

Evasive action: Both a Baildon player (red and black shirt) and a York RI tackler find themselves at the centre of a ruck during Saturday's game at New Lane which saw RI promoted

RI's victory over Baildon saw them crowned Yorkshire Three champions, while Selby were narrowly beaten 18-16 at Hartlepool Technical Day School Old Boys.

However, the marging of defeat was slender and Selby were able to lift the North East Division Three title.

To crown a great weekend for the county, Scarborough won 22-17 at Stanley Rodillians to put the seal the Yorkshire Division Two crown.

York RI triumphed 22-5 over the Yorkshire Shield finalists, Baildon to end up the Yorkshire League Three champions in a good all-round team effort.

Their three tries were touched down by Matthew Gray, Hugh Rodden - both locks and fly half Steve Todd, Phil Ambler adding two conversions and a penalty goal.

Baildon turned round a 12-5 down after their left winger, Richard Moorhouse had scored an unconverted try.

It was a disappointing performance by Selby against Hartlepool but perhaps hardly suprising having not played during the previous two weeks.

Tech took the lead after a series of scrums just ten metres out with a converted try.

They increased their advantage just before the break with a drive from close range after yet another line out and both sides hit penalties before the turnaround.

Marlowe crashed over for a Selby try after the break but indiscipline allowed Hartlepool another converted penalty.

With ten minutes remaining, Patterson reduced the arrears with a penalty and Godfrey crashed over in the corner to set up a final frantic few minutes.

A difficult penalty was missed at the death to consign Selby to defeat.

Yorkshire Two champions, Scarborough travelled to beat Stanley Rhodesians 22-17, Andy Holloway (2) and Graeme Young scoring tries, Young adding a drop goal and Grant Lenton two conversions. Lee Barrett and Admen Edge (2) scored Rod's tries Edge adding two conversions and a penalty.

A bold second half revival just failed to save Harrogate from a narrow 21-17 Claro Road defeat by Nottingham in their last game of the Jewson's National League One season. Both sides scored three tries apiece Nottingham completing a home and away double though after being 13-0 up at one stage and 16-10 ahead at half time.

They scored tries through replacement centre, Simon Beatham and both wingers, Richard Bygrave and Elliott Spencer, Harrogate replying with three through Mark Farrar, Craig Reed and Steve Baker from a tap penalty move on full time.

Ralph Zoing, who announced that he was hanging up his boots after this game, kicked one conversion.

Goole beat their visitors, Horden 36-7 in North East One while in the second Division, while another Geordie side, Ashington were pipped at the post 9-8 at Ripon when Richard Moor produced the match-winning penalty two minutes from the end.

Moor scored a drop goal and two penalties for the home side, Geriant Evans scoring an unconverted try for Ashington and Paul Scott added the conversion.

Northallerton beat Castleford 34-10 with five tries touched down by Craig Whalley, Steve Robinson (a 'push-over'), Charlie Turner, Carl Elliott and Ed Bulman, Mick Robson scoring the conversions.

Lock Brian Wilson scored Castleford's try and Craig Dudley adding the conversion and a penalty goal.

Former York back five forward, Russ Warin was complimented on the way he controlled the Yorkshire One clash between Malton and Norton and Bramley Phoenix.

He had all his work cut out dishing out yellow cards to the visitors to The Gannock. Fortunately, rugby triumphed, Malton winning their last game in the league before being relegated into Yorkshire Two, virtually exchanging places with newly promoted Scarborough.

Three-quarters Stuart Collins and Neil Gilbertson scored tries for Malton, hooker Ed Gwilliam and wing forward Carl Rushworth also touching down, leaving David Webster to kick two conversions and two penalty goals to Bramley's two unconverted tries and a penalty.

Nestl Rowntree started and finished well but in a nail biting finish finally went down 18-17 to their visitors, Marist at Mille Crux.

In Rowntree's last game in Yorkshire Four before demotion, Nev Bracken scored a try in the corner, both centres, Olli Turner and Matt Forman also touching down tries leaving Jerry Boucher to supply the rest of their points with the boot.

Richard Chalmers and Ian Vernon scored Marist's tries, Vernon adding a conversion and two penalties.

York hounded by Baskerville

by Mike Allerton

Relegated York showed some improved form in their 46-21 defeat at Percy Park.

They put the spectre of a massive Thwaites North Two defeat at Vale of Lune behind them to show renewed spirit and prove that there is something to build on in for the future.

The prospect of another huge defeat looked to be on the cards when Park scored a try in the opening minute, but Andy Brown fired over a penalty from just short of the half way line and after 10 minutes slotted over another kick from under the posts to put York in front for the first and only time in the match.

Northumberland fly-half Michael Baskerville, who tormented York throughout, jinked his way over from 25 yards and improved his own try with a simple kick.

Although the match was even territorially, Park's half-backs were in control and only fine tackling by Jim Hawcutt kept them in check.

After 25 minutes York were caught offside and Baskerville kicked the points before county centre Liam Casey took advantage of a lucky bounce to race over for another score for the North Shields club, Baskerville adding the conversion.

York hit back when Sean Bass knifed through and raced 30 yards into the hosts' half. His clever chip found Adi Lambo who leapt high to collect and crash over for a spectacular try.

Park hit back with a try by full-back Paul Carr, Baskerville again kicking the extras.

Immediately after the interval Mark Carr sailed through several missed York tackles and Baskerville again booted the conversion over.

York were always in the game, if not in touch, and had plenty of the ball, but poor ball retention, dropped or poor passes proved to be the major problems for the visitors.

Hawcutt and Stuart Scott put in some crunching tackles, while skipper Dave Dorking and utility player Charlie Kama showed plenty of passion and self belief.

But the final nail in York's season of disasters came with 15 minutes left when Baskerville scored with an outrageous kick and chase, although he missed an easy conversion.

Lambo, Brown, Kama and Stuart Scott all picked up injuries in the closing minutes but Brown sent out a fine pass to Paul Scott, who scorched in for a superb York try. Brown, hobbling badly, kicked the conversion.

On the stroke of time flanker Gary Thorpe took advantage of York's injured players to cruise in for the final score of the season.

Fightback all in vain

Pocklington were left to rue 10 minutes of madness, when they conceded four converted tries, just before the interval at North Ribblesdale.

But they have considerable credit for a spirited second half fight back which almost snatched victory, before they went down 28-24.

Gary Pearce put Pock ahead with a penalty and they continued to have more of the play, but lost big forwards Denzil Styche and Jason Nicholson though injury.

Slack defence on the half hour let North Ribblesdale in for two tries, a lucky break from a dropped pass gave them a third, then fine support play on a seventy yard move, brought them a fourth touchdown, all within 10 minutes and all converted from in front of the posts.

At 28-3 down and with a makeshift pack that now had a replacement hooker in the second row and prop at flanker, Pock could easily have folded but their forwards got on top.

A remarkable comeback started when Paul Rhodes burst for the line and Andy Green was in support to slide over, Pearce converting.

Then Rich Stephenson weaved through midfield to go behind the posts, Pearce again converting.

After a disallowed score, prop Perry Hardy roller-balled through half a dozen tackles to dive over with Pearce's third conversion closing the gap to just four points.

Pocklington could easily have snatched victory in the dying minutes in the last move of the match..

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