YORK VALKYRIE 58 BARROW RAIDERS 0
LORRAINE MARSDEN, LNER Community Stadium, Sunday
A SECOND-HALF hat-trick for Ugandan international Peace Lekuru finally helped York see off a Barrow side that had remained determined during the first 40 minutes.
The visitors to North Yorkshire had worked hard to keep their hosts to just a 16-0 lead at the break, but an onslaught of nine tries after the restart ultimately gave York an easy victory and remain third in the league.
Both sides had chances in the opening stages, but it wasn’t until the 19th minute that the deadlock was broken when Savannah Andrade swerved through the Barrow defence to go over from close range, allowing Jas Bell the first of her three successful conversions.
York doubled their lead eight minutes later when Lisa Parker showed great pace to score in the corner. Emma Kershaw added a third York try just minutes before the break.
But the second half was an altogether different story with the Valkyrie dominating from the off, with Zoe Hornby powering her way over under the sticks within minutes of the restart. Izzy Brennan also got on the scoresheet adding the first of her two goals as she shared kicked duties with Bell, French international Sarah Menaa also attempted two of the conversions throughout the afternoon, but was unsuccessful with both.
Just minutes later Lekuru grabbed her first, which was also her first in Super League after only joining the club ahead of the Nines earlier this month.
Kershaw and Andrade both then completed their braces before the hour mark, before Lekuru was on the end of some fine ball work from York to score in the corner for her second.
Tara Moxon found a gap out wide to go in at the corner for York’s ninth, before Lekuru danced through the defence to secure her hat-trick with less than ten minutes remaining on the clock.
Late tries followed for Evie Sexton and Eboni Partington to confirm a big win for the reigning champions.
VALKYRIE: 2 Eboni Partington, 30 Peace Lekuru, 16 Lisa Parker, 31 Adaoha Akwiwu, 5 Emma Kershaw, 1 Georgie Dagger, 3 Tamzin Renouf, 22 Agnes Wood, 9 Sinead Peach, 10 Jas Bell, 12 Savannah Andrade, 20 Evie Sexton, 27 Sarah Menaa. Subs (all used): 25 Zoe Hornby, 17 Izzy Brennan, 14 Izzy Bibby, 21 Tara Moxon.
Tries: Andrade (19, 58), Parker (27), Kershaw (37, 52), Hornby (43), Lekuru (45, 61, 73), Moxon (65), Sexton (77), Partington (79); Goals: Bell 3/3; Menaa 0/2, Brennan 2/7
RAIDERS: 5 Chloe Capstick, 2 Shannon Parker, 11 Emily Stirzaker, 4 Claire Hutchinson, 24 Becca Harley, 6 Kerrie Ann Smith, 28 Imogen Smillie, 12 Leah Clough, 9 Beth Lindsay, 10 Jodie Morley, 3 Maddie Neal, 1 Vanessa Temple, 13 Nicole Stewart. Subs (all used): 15 Leah Cottier, 22 Jodie Crawford, 23 Hannah Thompson, 25 India Jackson.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 16-0; 22-0, 26-0, 30-0, 36-0, 40-0, 44-0, 48-0, 54-0, 58-0
Half-time: 16-0