BARROW RAIDERS 6 YORK VALKYRIE 48
Northern Competitions Stadium, Sunday

YORK VALKYRIE all but confirmed a semi-final trip to St Helens with a nine-try victory over Barrow Raiders to remain third in the table.

With one league game remaining, York’s chances of finishing second are not over but they would need to beat Leeds and rely on St Helens losing to Leigh by big enough margins to cancel out a points difference of 122 if the two sides were to switch league positions and see the Valkyrie host the semi-final.

York, who had made several changes to the side that lost to Saints last time out, will be able to take confidence into the next couple of games after an assured performance that saw Agnes Wood and Izzy Bibby both score a brace of tries.

Wood got the scoring underway after eight minutes following strong work down the middle, with Ellie Williamson adding her only goal of the half.

York further increased their lead when more strong work down the middle put Kira Fitzpatrick over. Wood added her second soon after the half-hour mark, before Williamson went over in the corner to make it 0-18 in the final moments of the half.

The second half was just as dominant for York with Evie Sexton crossing less than ten minutes after the restart. Rhiannion Marshall took over kicking duties and nailed the conversion, as she did when Tara Moxon crossed just before the hour mark.

Following further tries from debutant Olivia Turner and Bibby, converted by Williamson and Izzy Brennan respectively, Barrow got a consolation score through Jodie Morley, converted by Nicole Stewart.

With ten minutes remaining Bibby crossed for her second of the afternoon, converted by Brennan, to round off the scoring.

RAIDERS: 1 Vanessa Temple, 24 Becca Harley, 11 Emily Stirzaker, 4 Claire Hutchinson, 23 Amy Carruthers, 6 Kerrie-Ann Smith, 7 Beth Pattinson, 14 Mia Dobson, 9 Beth Lindsay, 10 Jodie Morley, 3 Maddie Neale, 28 Imogen Smillie, 13 Nicole Stewart. Subs (all used): 15 Leah Cottier, 19 Amy Sutherland, 22 Jodie Crawford, 26 Megan Mayhew-Beach

Tries: Morley (66); Goals: Stewart 1/1

VALKYRIE: 2 Eboni Partington, 30 Peace Lekuru, 26 Kira Fitzpatrick, 21 Tara Moxon, 5 Emma Kershaw, 7 Ellie Williamson, 3 Tamzin Renouf, 29 T’Leesha Frederick-Maynard, 14 Izzy Bibby, 17 Izzy Brennan, 12 Savannah Andrade, 20 Evie Sexton, 22 Agnes Wood. Subs (all used): 11 Rhiannion Marshall, 32 Olivia Turner, 28 Charlotte McDaid, 33 Ruby Ellis

Tries: A Wood (8, 33), Fitzpatrick (21), Williamson (39), Sexton (46), Moxon (57), Turner (63), Bibby (65, 69); Goals: Williamson 2/5, Marshall 2/2, Brennan 2/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 0-14, 0-18; 0-24, 0-30, 0-36, 0-42, 6-42, 6-48

Half-time: 0-18