Round-Up: Driffield defence is key to their success

Defences held sway, and the only score of the first half was a penalty by winger Sam Furbank for Driffield.

Ten minutes after the turnround, a good move ended with Furbank touching down and he added another long-range penalty before late pressure finally paid off for Ilkley.

A four-try performance at Knottingley, where they won 33-13, put Bridlington level with Driffield on points.

Heath maintained third place with a resounding 40-7 home win over Pocklington, previously in fourth position.

Forward Dave Montgomery ran in two of Heath’s four tries, Matthew Baxendale and Ben Mitchell getting the others, and Charlie Lomas converted all four as well as kicking four penalties.

Nick Bennett converted a first-half try by scrum-half Ben Rees for Pocklington, who were pressing the Heath line and looked likely to score again until the home side broke and ran the length of the field for a try which put them 16-7 up at the turnround.

Huddersfield YMCA went within a whisker of scoring their first win of the campaign at Scarborough but had to settle for a losing bonus point as the home side won 37-34 with a converted try three minutes into stoppage time.

Fly-half Tom Harrison, who had scored the first of Scarborough’s four tries, kicked the conversion when flanker Chris Purdy got over between the posts.

Despite their close shave, Scarborough jumped from ninth to fourth in a tight league in which six teams are separated by just four points.

Pocklington, who came away from Ilkley empty-handed, dropped below Scarborough and Ilkley, as well as York, who gained a losing bonus in a surprise 6-3 defeat at Dinnington.

After York had taken the lead with a penalty by Tom Dawes, the home side equalised through Chris Williams and took the points when Williams kicked another in the second half of what, despite the lack of tries, was an entertaining game.

After conceding an early penalty, Keighley struck back with eight tries to run out 54-16 winners at home to Castleford.

Left-winger Sam Walker scored twice for Keighley, and Danny McGhee added another try as well as converting four and adding two penalties.

Yorkshire Two: Leodiensians strengthened their position at the top when they ran in seven tries on their way to a 45-0 home victory over bottom-placed Goole.

Right-winger Stuart Baker scored two tries and captain and prop Dave Robinson added another, all three converted by James Henry to give Leos a 21-0 interval lead. Tim Sleight on the other wing, centre Dave Barden, full-back John Bindloss and centre Monty Wainwright were the second-half scorers.

Yarnbury slipped from second to fourth with a 10-3 defeat at Wath on Dearne, while Barnsley moved up to second with a 13-5 win at Ripon.

Barnsley won 13-5 at Ripon, with Patrick Jensen scoring a try and kicking the conversion as well as two penalties.

Wath beat visitors Yarnbury 18-3 with tries from Ben Keen, Simon Kewis and Martin Bray.

Yorkshire Three: A four-try bonus in their 22-0 home win over Aireborough saw Roundhegians extend their lead over Sheffield Medicals.

Roundhegians scored all their points in the first half with tries by second-row Dale Cowling, flanker Kyle Sutcliffe, winger Tom Foxton and prop James Illingworth.

Although they were unable to maintain the momentum they succeeded in pinning Aireborough into their own territory for most of the second period.

Sheffield Medicals conceded a league point to Roundhegians when they were held to a 14-11 winning margin at Thornensians.

Medicals scored all their points before letting Thorne back in. Flanker Alastair Shaw scored the opening try, converted by Eddie Farmer, and Farmer also added the points after a second try from Alex Fawdry, who had moved from the second row to No 8 in the absence of Matthew Clark.

Ricky Tipper pulled back a penalty for Thorne before half-time, and the home side closed in with a try by No 8 Robert Moffatt. Tipper, standing in as goal kicker for the unavailable Olly Cox, then added a a second penalty.

Bramley Phoenix moved up to third with a 30-20 win at tailenders Halifax Vandals, while York RI slipped from third to seventh despite salvaging a point in an 11-10 home defeat by Baildon.

Rotherham Phoenix moved up two places with a 37-0 home victory over Hessle, who are still seeking their first win.