YMCA were given early notice of what life after stepping up will be like as they were beaten 26-11 at Old Crossleyans.
It was their first outing in North I East and YM found that any errors would be swiftly punished as missed tackles and the loss of possession proved very costly.
That is not to say that YM didn’t perform, it was just that what worked last year in Yorkshire I wasn’t going to work at this level.
However, after weathering an early storm, it was the visitors who got on the scoreboard first after Gavin Stead obliged by slotting over two penalty chances.
However, the Halifax outfit were in front by half-time as No8 Ryan Hammond forced his way through for a converted try.
Things went from bad to worse for the YMCA when 15 minutes into the second half Stead was red carded after he was harshly adjudged to have stamped on an opposing player.
As a result YM were a beaten side by the time James Bell got a deserved consolation try.
YMCA: Johnson; Stead, Bentley, Fonua, Ryder; Clayton, Wilson; Dyke (Stu), Hill, Wrafter, Bell, Housley, Dyke (Steve), Whitehead, Hodge. Interchange: Sellers, Lumb, Sharrock
