Fightback too late for York against Hawks

With the Hawks’s solitary previous victory being against the Knights there was an early feeling of deja-vu as they quickly powered themselves into a 12- point lead.

With only four minutes on the clock full-back Stuart Kain crossed the line after an excellent break down the right channel and after Luke Helliwell mopped up an apparent knock-on, Steve Lewis joyously scored against his former club.

The game was held up for 15-minutes as the officials investigated a hole that had mysteriously appeared in the pitch before Knights full-back Tom Bush jinked and weaved through the Hawks defence for George Elliott to score.

But tries either side of the break by Liam Welham, the first from a sublime David March off-load and the second finishing a quality break by John Oakes left the Hawks firmly in control.

York’s hooker, Jack Lee, then produced the inspiration for Waine Pryce to reduce the deficit only for Dennis Tuffour to benefit from another March off-load and restore the visitors’ 10-point advantage.

Knights youngster Gareth Poutney scored the first of his brace of tries after excellent work from Adam Sullivan before Lee reduced the deficit to only four points.

A penalty for a second bite in the tackle gave Hunslet a further two points and, despite Poutney acrobatically clutching Chris Thorman’s huge bomb to score for the home side, the Hawks were able to deservedly hold on for a crucial victory by a narrow margin.

York City Knights: Bush, Pryce, Sutton, Garside, Pountney, Thorman, Elliot, Sullivan, Lee, Aldous, Davies, Smith, Freer. Substitutes: Brining, Ellis, Stubbs, Estosito.

Hunslet Hawks: Kain, Mapals, Nathaniel, Welham, Brickwood, Helliwell, Karalius, Menzies, Haigh, Lewis, Clayton, Oakes, D. March. Substitutes: McLocklan, Tuffour, Yates, Benjafield.

Referee: G Hewer (Whitehaven).