Yorkshire Division One: Old Crossleyans 18 York 25

YORK travelled with confidence to relegation-threatened hosts in Halifax, having won five of their last six.

Crocs had first advantage of the breeze but York had the early pressure, a Tom Newitt try being disallowed for a forward pass on ten minutes before Liam Hessay made up for missing an earlier penalty by landing one.

Gareth Sweeney levelled in kind from the hosts' first bit of ascendancy, and he was then held up short after a 70-yard dash following a poor York clearance.

This seemed to spur the visitors into action, with Gareth Singleton breaking away to put Hessay over, with the latter converting before Newitt put Charlie Nicholson on a 20-yard dash to the line to make it 15-3.

Naive York then erred twice to put Crocs into a position from where they could drive over from a line-out. Sweeney converting from wide out to make it 15-10 at half-time.

More indecision in the second half gave Sweeney the chance to pop over a penalty, Hessay replying with one before York scored again in the 55th minute.

Turnover ball allowed Josh Parker to made good ground before quick recycling allowed the inspirational Newitt to put Stu Davies over, Hessay's conversion making it 25-13 with 20 minutes left.

A bonus-point try loomed but a combination of Crocs upping their tempo and York taking their foot off the gas meant that the only further score went to the hosts, Sweeney converting with seven minutes left.

York did most of the defending in that time, although they came closest to scoring when Newitt was hauled down short, and also missed a penalty that would have denied the Halifax hosts a bonus point.

On Saturday, inconsistent York will need to show much more at Scarborough.