YORK KNIGHTS 30 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 8
GAVIN WILSON, LNER Community Stadium, Sunday
YORK moved up to second place in the Championship after securing a ninth consecutive victory with a patient performance against a misfiring Featherstone.
Avenging a Good Friday defeat at Featherstone, Knights coach Mark Applegarth made three changes from the team that won at Widnes last week, with centre Joe Law, prop Mitch Clark and utility Sam Cook returning to the fold in place of Taylor Pemberton (ankle) and Jacob Gannon.
Featherstone coach Paul Cooke was forced into making one change from the team that beat Halifax last week, with prop Sitaleki Akauola replacing King Vuniyayawa (ankle).
It was a completely different game compared to the punishing try-less 1895 Cup Final in the driving rain at Wembley three weeks ago, with early errors from both sides as they looked to move the ball around expansively in the hot and sunny conditions.
The Knights struck first when Ata Hingano spotted a gap behind the ruck and ran a strong diagonal line home, beating several Featherstone defenders from 30 metres out, with Liam Harris adding the first of five successful conversions.
York increased their lead just after half-an-hour. On a last-tackle power play Harris probed across the defensive line before finding Kieran Buchanan running a strong line against the grain to cross from 10 metres out.
Rovers hit back a minute before the break, after consecutive penalties had given them good field position and from there the ball was quickly moved out to the right for Connor Wynne to score. Ben Reynolds missed the difficult touchline conversion.
Rovers were back in the game ten minutes into the second half as Wynne used his pace to complete his brace. The well-taken try came at a cost, however, as the former Knights winger had to leave the field injured from the difficult finish.
York showed patience, bringing their starting front row back on for the remaining 20 minutes to lift and retake control of the contest.
Paul McShane then darted over from close range to score, despite claims of a knock-on from the Featherstone fans behind the posts.
The Knights scored two further tries in the last ten minutes to confirm an important victory.
First, Connor Bailey dummied and stepped his way through a visibly tiring Rovers defence, before Connor Fitzsimmons crashed over from close range to complete the scoring.
The only minor blot in Harris’ copybook was a missed penalty attempt as the full-time hooter sounded, but by then it mattered little.
GAMESTAR: Jordan Thompson gave an incredible 80-minute forward performance in the heat.
GAMEBREAKER: Paul McShane’s try on the hour restored York’s two-score lead, and the Knights assumed full control from there.
MATCHFACTS
KNIGHTS
36 Toa Mata’afa
34 Ben Jones-Bishop
3 Kieran Buchanan
4 Joe Law
35 Scott Galeano
6 Ata Hingano
7 Liam Harris
8 Jack Martin
9 Paul McShane
21 Conor Fitzsimmons
20 Oli Field
12 Connor Bailey
13 Jordan Thompson
Subs (all used)
10 Brenden Santi
19 Sam Cook
31 Kieran Hudson
33 Mitch Clark
Tries: Hingano (16), Buchanan (34), McShane (61), Bailey (69), Fitzsimmons (77)
Goals: Harris 5/6
ROVERS
1 Caleb Aekins
5 Gareth Gale
20 Josh Hardcastle
29 James Glover
23 Connor Wynne
6 Ben Reynolds
28 Ryan Hampshire
8 Gadwin Springer
9 Will Jubb
10 Jimmy Beckett
11 Brad Day
17 Clay Webb
13 Danny Addy
Subs (all used)
14 Connor Jones
15 Sitaleki Akauola
37 Nathan Wilde
38 Pat Moran
Tries: Wynne (39, 49)
Goals: Reynolds 0/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 12-0, 12-4; 12-8, 18-8, 24-8, 30-8
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Jordan Thompson; Rovers: Connor Wynne
Penalty count: 3-5
Half-time: 12-4
Referee: Kevin Moore