A BID for four straight Yorkshire One wins foundered for York RUFC who were edged out 20-16 by hosts Yarnbury.

York had the advantage of the breeze first and were soon camped in the Yarnbury half with Davies slotting home the first of his four penalties in the fifth minute.

But the Horsforth-based hosts levelled in kind with Pound sending over a penalty.

Davies was again accurate at the double for a 9-3 lead, though a fourth attempt drifted wide.

The visitors were dominating territorially but just could not string the plays together to cross the Yarnbury line.

On 27 minutes they lost Goulding to injury enabling Campbell Thompson to make his season’s debut in the back row.

York maintained the pressure and again forced a home side infringement which allowed Davies to kick a 12-3 lead.

But on the stroke of half-time York scrum-half Hargreaves was yellow carded for what appeared deliberate obstruction.

Whereas the first half was commanded by York, the second half was to be all Yarnbury.

Whether being down for the first ten minutes to 14 men or whether the hosts upped their game, York could not prevent Yarnbury from dominating.

Six minutes into the first half after consistent pressure Yarnbury lock Maycock crashed over with Pound adding the extra points with a well-judged conversion.

Yarnbury immediately brought play into the visitors’ half where Pound was able to slot over his second penalty and with it the lead.

It would be 17 minutes of the second half before York got any sort of foothold, their efforts leading to a penalty, but unfortunately Davies was well wide.

York rang the changes bringing Rawlings on in the second row replacing Britland with Kay moving to number 8.

The next 15 minutes were again all Yarnbury but York’s defence stood firm.

It wasn’t until the 33rd minute that Pound was to extend the Yarnbury lead after the York backs were penalised for encroaching.

With time running out York, to their credit, managed to bring play into the Yarnbury 22 where they forced a penalty.

Knowing a penalty wasn’t enough the kick was placed in the corner for a potential trade-mark catch and drive steal.

But the throw did not go to hand, though York retained possession and for seven or eight phases they pressured the home side.

The ball was eventually fed out wide but a wild pass that didn’t find hand allowed Yarnbury to pile forward. The ball did not appear from the ruck and the whistle blew.

HIGH hopes that Selby RUFC could end the unbeaten run of Yorkshire One pace-setters Doncaster Phoenix were dashed in a 31-25 home loss, eased by salvaging a bonus point with the last play of the game.

Fly-half Cody Whittaker’s first-minute penalty went wide, buit Selby went ahead six minutes later, after number 8 Martin Protheroe picked up from the base of the scrum and crashed over. Whittaker converted.

But Phoenix drove over the line through Ryan Peacey, centre Dave Hankinson converting to start a flawless afternoon with the boot.

Selby re-took the lead with a Whittaker penalty but Phoemix countered with the best try of the match notched by winger Tom Batty, Hankinson obliging.

With flanker James Blaymire yellow carded after 27 minutes, Phoenix took full advantage. Chris Planchant crossed and Hankinson added the extras for a 21-10 half-time lead.

After stern defence on the restart, Whittaker sent over a penalty before Phoenix prop Tom Bagnall burst through from 20 metres to score under the posts. Hankinson converted.

Selby refused to capitulate and reduced their arrears after 75 minutes with replacement flanker Stephen Clark putting Patrick Rowntree in for his first try of the season.

Hankinson fired over a penalty, but Selby were doing all the attacking. Their efforts paid off deep into added on time with Blaymire putting second rower Brendan Lanaghan over for his first try of the season.