YORK VALKYRIE 12 WIGAN WARRIORS 32
EMMA KENNEDY, LNER Community Stadium, Saturday

EVA HUNTER and Grace Banks both scored doubles as Wigan maintained their faultless start to the Women’s Super League season with a comfortable win at York.

It was a match littered with errors from both sides, but the visitors were good value for their win, albeit with a performance not as comprehensive as their 52-0 triumph in the Challenge Cup semi-final.

Wigan started the brighter. After having won a penalty, they carved out the game’s first chance in the fifth minute when Isabel Rowe released Ruby Hunter into space, but the young halfback knocked-on metres from the line as she collected the return pass.

The Warriors though made no mistake from their next attack, with nobody able to lay a hand on Eva Hunter after Megan Williams’ pass released her down the left edge to score the game’s opening try next to the posts, Rowe adding the first of four conversions.

Another penalty laid the field position for Wigan to score their second just before the quarter-hour, Banks’ cut-out pass handing Ellise Derbyshire a walk-in at the left corner.

York began to settle into the game but they found metres hard to come by, with Ellie Williamson repeatedly forced to kick from within her own half.

Their best chance came after they were awarded a penalty on halfway just before the half hour, but Megan Pakulis was stopped just short of the line as she tried to barge across on the powerplay.

Wigan hit back immediately, quickly turning defence into attack as Beri Salihi broke through the line before sending Hunter over for her second, Rowe again converting.

Errors began to creep in as half-time approached, with both sides cheaply giving up possession.

But it was the visitors that finished the half the stronger. York were caught offside close to their line, with Wigan going right to Lucie Sams who dived through a gap from close range, Rowe’s conversion striking the right-hand post.

Partington then scrambled well to prevent Mia Atherton going over on the hooter, the Warriors taking a 20-0 lead in at the break.

York passed up a gilt-edged chance to post their first points at the beginning of the second half after Wigan knocked-on the kick-off, with a stray pass seeing them lose possession on the ten-metre line.

Kelsey Gentles forced Sinead Peach into a knock-on with her first involvement off the bench as she looked to make a mark against her former side, but the Warriors were soon punished after coming up with a handling error themselves.

After good work down the right had brought the Valkyrie within touching distance, Izzy Bibby darted out of dummy-half next to the posts, Williamson converting to give her side a glimmer of hope.

The Valkyrie looked to go back-to-back after a spiralling bomb had proved too hot for Anna Davies to handle, but despite both Liv Wood and Petra Woods going close, could find no way through Wigan’s tryline defence.

Instead, the visitors scored again three minutes later after good work from Remi Wilton, Rowe dancing around the defence before dropping the ball off for Banks to dive behind the posts.

York hit back with ten minutes remaining, Rhiannion Marshall proving too strong as she twisted her way out of a tackle to score from close range and Williamson again tagging on the extras.

But it was the visitors that finished with a final flourish, Banks scoring her second in the dying minutes after some enterprising left-edge play.

GAMESTAR: Second-row Eva Hunter carried strong for Wigan and proved a thorn in the Valkyrie’s side throughout.

GAMEBREAKER: Wigan scored twice in quick succession at the end of the first half, leaving York with an uphill battle in the second half.

MATCHFACTS

VALKYRIE
23 Monique Donovan
3 Emma Kershaw
25 Adaoha Akwiwu
21 Petra Woods
2 Eboni Partington
6 Sade Rihari
7 Ellie Williamson
10 Jas Bell
14 Izzy Bibby
15 Megan Pakulis
11 Tamzin Renouf
8 Liv Wood
9 Sinead Peach
Subs
4 Tara Moxon (not used)
13 Rhiannion Marshall
16 Agnes Wood
18 Izzy Brennan

Tries: Bibby (52), Marshall (70)
Goals: Williamson 2/2

WARRIORS
1 Grace Banks
2 Anna Davies
3 Georgia Wilson
16 Beri Salihi
5 Ellise Derbyshire
6 Jenna Foubister
7 Isabel Rowe
8 Mary Coleman
19 Remi Wilton
15 Bethan Dainton
11 Eva Hunter
22 Ruby Hunter
13 Megan Williams
Subs (all used)
9 Carys Marsh
10 Mia Atherton
17 Kelsey Gentles
20 Lucie Sams

Tries: E Hunter (8, 31), Derbyshire (14), Sams (38), Banks (68, 78)
Goals: Rowe 4/6

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 0-16, 0-20; 6-20, 6-26, 12-26, 12-32

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Valkyrie: Eboni Partington; Warriors: Eva Hunter

Penalty count: 2-5
Half-time: 0-20
Referee: Adam Williams