Rugby Union: York RI 22, Baildon 5; by Bill Marshall.

Having played virtually to their limit nine days ago in reaching the final of the Yorkshire Silver Trophy, Baildon had little left to give in this crucial clash.

Only for a few minutes early in the second half did they come anywhere near matching the head of steam they produced in that tremendous semi-final victory at Heath.

The upshot of Saturday's programme in Yorkshire Division Three was that York RI are champions, and Heath, who drew 16-16 at Leeds Corinthians, gained the second promotion spot.

Baildon's coach Malcolm Lightowler said: "That win over Heath took a lot out of us both mentally and physically . . . to play for 45 minutes with only 13 men against a good team."

As for the RI match, which Baildon needed to win to stand any chance of going up, he said: "We didn't look interested for 20 minutes, and seemed to knock-on many more times than they did. We lost to a better team who really wanted to win the championship.

"But for us to finish third the season after we were promoted still means we have ended higher than in any of our previous 11 seasons, and that is a credit to the players - our previous best was fourth in 1995-96. And we still have the Silver Trophy final against Wibsey on May 2 to look forward to."

But Baildon didn't lose promotion on Saturday - they lost it in surprise defeats against Old Modernians and Wetherby.

Saturday's result brought an end to a long losing sequence for RI against Baildon, who won the Jenny Lane clash 26-5 in November.

RI's club chairman Brian Hutchinson said: "It is nine games since we beat Baildon. Mind you, Malcolm Lightowler's comments in the T&A earlier in the season that promotion was between Leeds Corinthians, Heath and Baildon proved a great motivational factor.

The article was pinned up on our dressing room wall and inspired us to great things. We haven't lost since."

RI's former Bradford Salem centre Matt Bentley disagreed that Lightowler's comments of a few months ago had made any difference. "I don't think we needed any extra motivation, and Malcolm seemed to be right when he was quoted," said the 32-year-old.

"We were focused on what we had to do, haven't lost a home game all season and didn't look like we were going to against Baildon.

"The platform was laid by the forwards and our scrum meant that Baildon never had the ball going forwards."

It took the visitors over 20 minutes to settle, and by that time they were 12-0 down, locks Matt Gray and Hugh Rodden getting tries and scrum half Phil Ambler a conversion.

Winger Richard Moorhouse scored a try for Baildon on the left after penetrating runs from centre Simon Glenn and flanker Chris Smithies.

But apart from early in the second half when news filtered through that Corinthians were leading 16-6 at half-time - if Baildon won and heath lost the Jenny Laners would have got the second promotion spot - it was mainly defensive chores for the visitors.

Ambler added a 42nd-minute penalty, and it was only last-ditch Baildon defence that prevented anything more than a try by fly half Steve Todd and an Ambler conversion.

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