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York Valkyrie will travel to Leeds Rhinos next Sunday in the Betfred Womenâs Super League play-off semi finals after ending their league season with a 32-6 win over Feathertsone Rovers win at the Millennium Stadium.
It wasnât a big enough to turn over the points difference needed to finish second in the table, but the Valkyrie were in control early in the game despite an at times error strewn performance.
A brace from Megan Pakulis laid an early platform, and the Valkyrie built an unassailable 22-0 lead by half time. Â
After Izzy Brennan went close in the first minute, Pakulis got the first try of the game just two minutes later, running a good angle from 10 metres out to slide through the defence.
Brennan just missed the conversion attempt.
Pakulis also got the second of the game, this time beating the defence with a dummy from 30 metres out. This time, Brennan added the extras in front of the posts.
A huge, but high, tackle from Eva Izumi saw the centre sent to the sin bin with 17 minutes of the half remaining, leaving the Valkyrie down to 12 players.
However it was the Valkyrie who scored next. Rhiannion Marshall shrugged off the defence to release Tamzin Renouf into space. She crossed beneath the posts to give Izzy Brennan another easy conversion.
Handling became harder as the game went on as rain continued to fall, and both sides were coming up with mistakes.
But York were running harder and making better ground, giving them the edge despite the errors.
They scored again just before the break through Marshall, who twisted out of a tackle to touch down under the posts. She converted her own try to give York a 22-0 lead at the break.Â
Marshall went close again soon after the restart, and a couple of moves later, Izzy Brennan sliced through to score and Marshall added the extras.
WIth 20 minutes to go, Featherstone had one of their best chances to register points, only for an error on the last of the set to deny them after some solid York defence.
The Valkyrie made numerous changes in the second half, and it was Lauren Exley who got the next try after a break down the right to score in the corner.
Ellie Lamb found her way over in the corner for Featherstone with just eight minutes remaining. Tally Bryerâs conversion hit the posts but bounced over to add the extra two points.
Featherstone: Waters, Lamb, Copley, Prescott, Craven, Mellor-Churm, Bryer, Limbert, Grace, Harrison, Watt, Evans, Billington
Subs (all used): Johnson, Courtney, Holmes, Higo
18th Player: Carr
Tries: Lamb (71)
Goals: Bryer (1/1)
York: Eastwood, Lambert, Izumi, Parker, Partington, Rihari, Renouf, Bell, Wilton, Brennan Andrade, Wood, Pakulis
Subs (used): Marshall, Stimpson, Exley, (unused): Hetherington
18th Player: None
Tries: Pakulis (3), (13), Renouf (29), Marshall (40), Brennan (47), Exley (66)
Goals: Brennan (2/4) Marshall (2/2)
Sin Bin: Izumi (13â)Â
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