FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 0 YORK VALKYRIE 44
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Millennium Stadium, Saturday
ELLIE WILLIAMSON scored her first hat-trick in York colours as Valkyrie battled through dogged Featherstone.
The Australian halfback had only scored four Super League tries since arriving ahead of last season, but she almost doubled that tally in one fruitful afternoon.
After scoring the opening try in each half, including a break from inside her own half for the first, Williamson clinched the personal treble just past the hour mark.
She also converted three of York’s nine tries, with Rhiannon Marshall kicking another.
After Williamson’s first try capped a dominant start to the match, York scored three tries in the 13 minutes before half-time to ease any jitters.
They came from Megan Pakulis, Monique Donovan and Emma Kershaw, making it 18-0 at half-time.
York had a poor start to the second half as Amelie Lenham was almost immediately ordered back off again for a challenge on Featherstone halfback Liv Grace.
Rovers, who remain with just one win to their name, couldn’t capitalise, instead swiftly conceding to Williamson, and Valkyrie hit their straps with four tries in the final 22 minutes.
Eboni Partington scored two of them, with scores in between for Williamson and Petra Woods.
ROVERS: 19 Beth Macmillan, 21 Nat Carr, 3 Chloe Billington, 13 Dani Waters, 5 Shavon Craven, 32 Cristina Song-Puche, 7 Liv Grace, 24 Sammy Watts, 6 Charley Blackburn, 15 Aaliyah Brewster, 11 Tilly Churm, 8 Katie Evans, 12 Brogan Churm. Subs (all used): 10 Emillie Holmes, 14 Gabby Harrison, 17 Brogan Kennedy, 29 Cerys Gregory
VALKYRIE: 23 Monique Donovan, 3 Emma Kershaw, 28 Amelie Lenham, 21 Petra Woods, 2 Eboni Partington, 6 Sade Rihari, 7 Ellie Williamson, 16 Agnes Wood, 9 Sinead Peach, 10 Jas Bell, 11 Tamzin Renouf, 8 Liv Wood, 15 Megan Pakulis. Subs (all used): 13 Rhiannon Marshall, 18 Izzy Brennan, 25 Adaoha Akwiwu, 29 Kate Howard
Tries: Williamson (13, 43, 62), Pakulis (27), Donovan (33), Kershaw (38), Partington (58, 80), Woods (71); Goals: Williamson 3/8, Marshall 1/1; Sin bin: Lenham (41) – dangerous tackle
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-14, 0-18; 0-24, 0-28, 0-34, 0-38, 0-44
Half-time: 0-18; Referee: Shea Harrison