THE eagerly-awaited first home North Two East league match of the season turned out to be a major disappointment for the young York side with Goole running out worthy 19-0 winners in a hard, bruising encounter.

Toby Cockcroft, York's fourth stand-off in five games, kicked off in pleasant conditions and spectators immediately saw evidence of the driving, rucking game which Goole would use to good effect throughout the afternoon.

York's defence stood firm but it was proving very difficult to make any territorial advances and as the pressure increased it was no surprise when York were penalised for offside and James Ruhmann put Goole ahead with a tenth minute penalty in front of the posts.

York were also being penalised heavily for infringements, some of which were fairly obscure, and this allowed Goole to stay camped near the York line and it was 20 minutes before the home side began to get into the game.

Brief probes by Jeremy Clutton and James Arkle helped to raise the seige but a harsh penalty for holding on allowed Ruhmann to extend the lead to 6-0.

York then enjoyed their best passage of play but following an excellent positional kick by Cockcroft, taking play right to the Goole line, they were again penalised for crossing on a tap penalty move and the position lost.

The same disappointing result followed an excellent kick by full-back Guy Rustling, when York were penalised for a lineout offence on the Goole line.

A lost scrum allowed Goole to return to the York 22 metre area where Dempsey was penalised (and sin-binned) for an offside offence which was converted to make the half-time score 9-0.

The game now lost a bit of shape with Goole infringing regularly and York creeping back into it but following a fine kick into the corner by the Goole stand-off, York lost their own lineout and Goole drove over for a try by lock Andy Wraith which Ruhmann converted.

Goole were still conceding penalties and this allowed York a period of territorial advantage.

However, a missed penalty by Cockcroft proved to be the only opportunity that York had as their inexperience was highlighted and some of the fundamentals, particularly at lineouts, began to show.

The last ten minutes were disappointing with York, in desperate need of new legs, not really being capable of mounting a penetrative attack and their woes were compounded when an excellent mauling drive by Goole culminated in a fine unconverted try for full-back Richard Rhumann making the final score 19-0.

Nestl Rowntree were edged out 17-15 by Thirsk at Mille Crux in their opening Yorkshire League division six game of the season.