YORK RI wilted in the final minutes against a bigger Heath pack as they lost their opening Yorkshire Three encounter 29-10 at New Lane.

For an hour the game was evenly balanced with the visitors hanging on to a slender two-point lead but their extra strength and fitness told in the end as they won 29-10.

RI took the lead with a Mathew Yates penalty and when Tim Nash scored an opportunist try straight from a drop out RI looked good for their 10-0 advantage.

Heath hit back with a try by winger Todd and just before the break RI fumbled a long punt and full-back King scored under the posts.

With Yates kicking for position the visitors defence was being stretched but Heath weathered the storm and took the lead when poor tackling let King in for his second try.

Two tries in the last ten minutes as RI tired gave the visitors a 19-point victory but the match was closer than the score suggests.

Updated: 10:40 Monday, September 05, 2005