WORKINGTON TOWN 18
YORK CITY KNIGHTS 44

Town started well with a good kick chase but a six-again was called by referee James Vella.

Liam Harris went through a gap off the back of a huge run from Pauli Pauli and it looked like another long afternoon for Town as Liam Harris slotted the ball over for 0-6.

Town were awarded a penalty on the seven-minute mark for a high tackle on Alex Clegg. A huge kick was collected by Alex Young who put the ball back into a York hand for a repeat set but York held firm. York then forced an error 15 away from the Town line when Zac Olstrom was adjudged to have not put the ball under his foot when playing the ball.

Before the scrum was formed Workington forward Jordan Thomson needed the claret wiped from his head and patching up. Following the restart, the referee gave York their second and third six-agains, firstly for offside and latterly for holding on, for York’s Thomson to score. The conversion was missed for 0-10 on 13 minutes.

Town were then pressuring the line following two penalties for offside and a strip. Caine Barnes on his return knocked on over the line as Town were offside. York then ran through hands and a pass went seemingly unnoticed as forward and the referee awarded the try for Joe Brown which was once again missed.

The referee then gave his 11th penalty in 22 minutes as York were offside from their own kick, but Town were nearly away but for a misplaced pass. The West Cumbrians were defending well until a fourth tackle infringement gave York a fresh set. On 25 minutes Evan Simon went down off the ball and needed to be replaced.

Town were forced to drop out from the set with a well-placed kick from York. On the first tackle from that set O’Brien went down with another injury and was helped very gingerly from the field on 26 minutes. A kick was placed into the Town in goal. The referee awarded the try and the York man ended up over the advertising board following the batting back of the ball for Levi Edwards to score on 29 minutes, 0-20.

The referee then gave his 14th penalty but Town held firm. They were growing into the game but were then penalised for the softest six-dump tackle seen in many a year. York pressed but Town held out. They were then awarded a penalty for a strip but were held up. A huge kick from Doran was battered out of play by York who – to the amazement of the Town crowd – were awarded a 20-metre restart themselves. The half ended 0-20

Town started the half well, sending Carl Forber racing 30 metres away but he was tackled well and Town forced a drop out. On the third tackle of the set Rhys Clarke went down holding his ankle but was okay. Town were then awarded a third set as York were offside. The Town pressure finally told as Matty Henson burrowed over for 6-20 on 44 minutes.

Town then made an error on their last tackle to give York the ball on halfway. A huge hit with between Pauli Pauli and Connor Fitzsimmons resulted in treatment for Fitzsimmons. Glover picked up the ball from the restart and went through some very weak defence to score out wide to restore the 20-point lead on 49 minutes as the score went out to 6-26.

Town were awarded a penalty on 51 minutes for offside and kicked it to halfway but the Knights were able to withstand this attack. A dink kick from Jamie Doran got Town a repeat set as they looked to press three offload but the third was one too many as York came away with the ball. However, an incorrect play the ball by Matongo for York gave Town the ball back deep in York territory. From the set Matty Henson shot out from dummy half to go over for his second, with Carl Forber converting for 12-26 on 58 minutes.

The try of the game came as Town looked dead in their own half but went back-to-back as Jamie Doran broke the line with Luke Broadbent in support as he offloaded to Forber to dot down, converting his own try for 18-26 on the hour. Town were forced to defend three repeat sets and potentially the game-breaking moment was then forced as Liam Harris played a dummy that Mothercare would’ve been proud of to dot the ball down under the sticks for 18-32 on 66 minutes. Doran then went for a short kick off but kicked it out on the full. York went back to back to kill the game as a contest as Will Jub carried three Town defenders over the line to score under the posts for 18-38 on 69 minutes.

York did knock the ball on from a forward pass on 71 minutes as Town looked to come away from their own line. Town were awarded a six-again and a penalty for a high tackle on 73 minutes but Joe Brown lost the ball in a big collision. A final try for the Knights was scored by James Glover as the linesman appeared to see the forward pass but the referee did not. Harris found his range again for 18-44 on full time.