CITY of York Hockey Club first team were left frustrated after a goal-fest against Leeds Gryphons.

The York hosts turned in a much-improved and positive performance but lost 4-3 to finish without any North League premier division points.

York started brightly, controlling possession and steadily building pressure. However, Leeds struck first when a loose ball was bundled over the line.

A strong response yielded an equaliser. Alex Cockram’s slicing run ended with the award of a short corner, the rebound from which Stephen Patterson converted after the intial drag-flicked effort from Mike Carter was parried.

York went 2-1 up when the excellent Richard Cockram powered home a superb shot past the flailing Leeds ’keeper for an interval lead.

After an even start to the second half, York were bemused after Leeds converted twice in quick succession after a number of infringements went unpunished.

York dug deep and the recently returned Jon Jenkin was able to score following another well-worked short-corner routine.

A share of the points was but a minute away when a Leeds forward struck a winner that left the hosts exasperated.

City of York II were given another harsh lesson in the premier division of the Yorkshire League, falling to a second successive 5-2 defeat, this time at Sheffield University Bankers III.

Both sides saw plenty of ball early on before Sheffield broke the deadlock after a goal-mouth scramble.

Bankers doubled their lead before half-time, hitting York on the counter.

Bankers were the dominant side for much of the second half, adding a further two goals before York rallied in the final ten minutes.

Pat Herriott deflected Rob Newton’s ball in from a penalty corner and then Alex Fletcher scrambled in the second before the hosts went nap in the final minute.

Ten-man City of York III crashed 5-1 at Lincoln Roses II in division two.

The visitors were hit by a number of withdrawals and they were on the wrong end of an umpiring call when Lincoln took the lead despite a save hitting a Roses player on the foot before he scored.

Roses doubled their lead before the break and they went 4-0 down before pulling a goal back, with Mark Moisley, Ben Foster and Chris Bolt involved at a short corner before Bolt calmly netted.

Roses scored a fifth with a deflected shot.

Moisley and Rob Chamberlin were York’s joint men of the match.

City of York IV were beaten 3-0 at home by Ben Rhydding III in division three.

The division four north derby clash between City of York V and Acomb I ended in a 2-2 draw.

City twice forged into the lead through goals from Glyn Brookes-Humphreys and Matt Todd, but twice Acomb came back into the game with a Matt Dickenson penalty after he was impeded and a late Harry Ellis penalty.

In the same division, City of York VI were pegged back in a 1-1 draw with Halifax III.

York midfielders Clive Mills-Hicks and Tony Neeve controlled the game, allowing Andrew Brewster, Henry Wilson and Simon Hall to threaten.

John Doran was in the right place at the right time to tip the ball around the ’keeper to give York a lead they kept until a messy Halifax short corner goal 60 seconds from time.

City of York VIII were forced to register a 3-2 defeat against Ben Rhydding VII – despite the division six north game ending in a 2-2 draw.

City had to borrow a ’keeper from the hosts, who insisted on claiming the points.

Ben Rhydding raced into a 2-0 lead through a penalty corner conversion and a penalty stroke in the first 15 minutes.

York bounced back with a neat counter-attack which was finished off by James Crellin and a fine Martin Gorton strike from a short corner on the stroke of half-time.