RELUCTANT hero Nick Hare stole the show as York maintained their 100 per cent record with a 29-10 victory over Huddersfield YMCA.

Hare, who had hung up his boots at the end of last season, was only coaxed out of retirement to ease a prop shortage at Clifton Park.

And despite having side-stepped training since packing in the game, the king of the set piece rolled back the years with a superb display.

Prior to the game, director of rugby Andy Gair had said Hare would play about half the game, but the fully paid up member of the front row union was still there doing what he does best at the end.

And to cap his comeback, the unassuming prop even powered over for a first half try.

In truth, Hare's performance was a rare bright point in a dour game, which never really moved out of first gear.

The match was littered with stoppages, as both sides were guilty of poor line out play, while the scrums never got going.

However, York did show glimpses of their attacking capabilities after seven minutes when former Army Sevens winger Rob Karma scored a superb try.

Having stretched the YM defence, York looked to spin the ball wide, but the scoring chance looked to have disappeared after a poor pass from Sean Bass. However, Karma scooped the ball off his laces and from a standing start, he scooted around the covering defence to score in the corner.

YM had the chances to get back into the tie, but Shane Bryne sent two bread and butter penalty kicks past the post, while the York defence stood up to the task of repelling any attacks.

YM twice tried to break through with textbook catch and drive routines close to the try-line, but both times the Clifton Parkers held firm.

And the hosts gave Huddersfield a demonstration of how to execute the move on the stroke of half-time.

Rob Allen found Pete Curtis in the line out and the York pack drove forward well for Hare to peel off the maul to the blindside and score. Ford's conversion made it 12-0 at the break.

Hopes of a brighter second half were never fulfilled as the game continued in the same messy vein, with York's third try summing up the afternoon.

Huddersfield were guilty of failing to clear their lines, and with the ball bobbling lose James Arkle fly-hacked it through for Gary Cassidy to pick it up on the bounce and dive over.

The visitors did finally cross for a try after Matt Halifax was given ten minutes in the sin-bin just six minutes after coming on. With the York pack weakened, YM went for the kill, driving through the middle for OP Paikpol to score.

But York never looked like letting their lead slip and when Mark Roberts won the race to his own chip ahead, he found Cassidy on his inside to finish the job. Ford adding the conversion.

Debutant Herman Louw then came off the subs bench to celebrate his first game with a try as the Huddersfield defence, missing the sin-binned Damian O'Herir, crumbled before him.

YM's dynamic Daril Derose did cross in injury time, but York had already completed the job by then.

Updated: 11:25 Monday, September 30, 2002