Ellis hat-trick leaves Knights to lick their wounds against Leigh

A first half hat-trick from Jamie Ellis and two tries from half-back partner Martin Ridyard established a comfortable lead with a kick through from Ellis being pounced on by Ridyard to open the scoring. Shortly afterwards Ellis burrowed through to touch down after excellent work from hooker John Duffy.

Ellis juggled the ball for Ridyard to add his second try but the restart from Tom Bush found touch to give York possession. As the ball was worked to the left Bush was held inches short but Chris Thorman burst through to score.

Ellis scored again after an excellent break from Ridyard although York quickly hit back with Jonny Presley crossing the whitewash. Ellis completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half time only for Jack Stearman to beat the hooter by a fraction of a second as he burst through to score.

Tommy Goulden ran the angle to score from an Ellis offload but Matt Garside and Rhys Clarke crossed the line for the Knights to reduce the deficit to 10 points.

Ellis provided the pass for Steve Nash to score and David Mills twisted in the tackle to touch down that created a 20-point lead. But two tries in the dying moments as Presley and Duane Straugheir scored clinched a thoroughly deserved bonus point for the Knights.

York City Knights: Bush, Smith, Ford, Sutton, Haynes, Thackeray, Thorman, Freer, Lee, Benson, Straugheir, Garside, Clarke Substitutes: Stearman, Rice, Presley, Lewis.

Leigh Centurions: Donlan, Maden, Evans, Nanyn, McGilvray, Ridyard, Ellis, Thornley, Duffy, Nash, Higson, Littler, Govin. Substitutes: Nicholson, Hill, Goulden, Mills.

Referee: R Laughton (Barnsley).

Wakefield winger Gareth Potts has joined Doncaster on an initial one month loan deal.

The Championship One club has been hit with injury problems, including principally the one which has affected three-quarter Mick Butterfield.

Trinity coach John Kear has allowed reserve player Potts to make the switch to gain more experience of senior football.