BINGLEY Bees notched their first win of the season to move off the bottom of Yorkshire Men’s Division Four North.

They travelled to familiar rivals York University Thirds, both teams having been promoted last season, and went a goal behind after three minutes.

However, lacklustre home defence allowed Stephen Booth to equalise six minutes later and the visitors went ahead thanks to a neatly-worked short-corner routine in the 23rd minute, Booth doubling his tally.

When Mike Crawshaw made it 3-1 a minute before half-time, the Bees were well on the way to emulating the only victory of the season gained by Halifax Thirds, who the Bees have leapfrogged into second from bottom.

But York replied with a well-struck short corner in the seventh minute of the second half, and it needed a well-placed reverse-stick shot by Matthew Clough to seal the rare Bees win.

The second team, who only had ten players, seven of whom were juniors, won 3-0 at Airedale Fourths after a fine defensive display in a bottom-of-the-table clash in the Men’s Development League North Division.

Second-from-bottom Bees are now level on six points with the three clubs who are immediately above them – City of York Ninths, Thirsk Fourths and Bradford Fifths – in a division that is dominated by Harrogate Sevenths.

Bingley Bees Ladies lost a basement battle 3-0 at Harrogate Seconds in the Premier Division, while the second team went down 9-0 at home to mid-table Leeds Thirds in Division Four.