York City Knights 48 Workington 6: Lee’s hat-trick earns Knights home comforts

On a bitterly cold day the Knights were quickly out of the blocks as Lee twisted and turned to touch down before Jack Briscoe’s quality finish from an initial break by Matt Nicholson.

York were nullifying Town’s size and power by astute kicking and attacking the fringes which saw Briscoe again finish superbly from Tom Carr’s kick through.

Carl Forber tried incessantly to inject life and enthusiasm into Town’s attack but even when momentum was gained the Knights’ defence was solid. York pressed forward with Dean Hadley pouncing on Danny Nicklas’s stabbed kick to score with Tom Carr repeating the feat.

Jonny Presley’s touch down ensured first blood after the break to York. Forber’s kick through fortuitously rebounded into his arms and the scrum-half scored under the posts before adding the conversion himself. But two further tries from Lee completed his hat-trick and Hadley touched down another astute Nicklas kick to ensure a York victory.

Workington’s blues were complete when Jamie Thackray was sent-off.

York: Carr, Elliott, Haynes, J Briscoe, Latus, Nicklas, Presley, Potter, Lee, Aldous, Hadley, Smith, Nicholson. Substitutes: Lyons, Iley, Bell, Sullivan.

Workington: Carter, Mossop, Connor, Morris, Calderwood, Lupton, Forber, Dowes, C Phillips, Thackray, B Phillips, Stack, Olstrum. Substitutes: Coward, Acton, Waine, Shackley.

Referee: G Hewer (Whitehaven).