York RUFC secured their place in North Two East with a dramatic 18-16 injury-time victory at Sunderland in their play-off.

It was a display of grit, determination and courage by York who lost skipper Jon Sharpe after just 30 seconds of the kick-off with a bad knee injury which could see him out of the Yorkshire Shield final against Pontefract.

Sunderland took the lead with a penalty, for playing the ball on the ground, but York took the initiative when scrum-half Chris Preen pressurised his opposite number, Nic Ventress gathered the loose ball and skillfully set up Rob Kama to score, Neil McClure converting.

The good Sunderland team, who were exceptionally well organised and had excellent mauling technique, dominated the line-out but could not make much headway against York's drift defence.

Dobson and McClure traded penalties, but the game never ignited as the officials from Merseyside failed to let the game flow.

Sunderland scored a well worked try when Hooper broke through from close in, but Sam Arkle charged down Tarn's conversion attempt which was to prove costly for the hosts who trailed 10-8 at half-time.

Stuart Davies returned to the field of play having been sin binned for rushing in to protect a colleague, but Dobson stroked over another penalty for Sunderland as their pack started to crank up the power.

Ventress responded with a good strike from 30 metres after York's kicker McClure was felled.

York had shown signs that they had solution out wide with Kama and Billy Cakabuatabula both showing touches of pace.

Sunderland edged towards York's line and from a quickly rucked ball out half Dobson sold a dummy to York's defence and cruised over, but again Sunderland failed to convert.

With the clock ticking away in injury time York found themselves deep in their own 22 but Andy Kay turned ball over with a hint of a knock-on, but play was waved on as the referee deemed the ball went backwards.

Kay fed Ventress on the blind side, who got the ball to Sam Arkle, the York centre powered his way to the half way line drawing the stretched defence towards him. At full pace Arkle fed an inside ball to Cakabuatabula who cut outside and then inside to score an magnificent closing try. Although McClure missed the conversion, York had secured victory and promotion.

It was an immensely tense physical battle, but coach Ken Higgins has instilled backbone and belief into the squad, who finished runners-up behind Pontefract in Yorkshire One.