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York Knights returned to winning ways in the Betfred Championship after a 40-18 victory over Halifax Panthers at the LNER Community Stadium.
York got off to a fantastic start, racking up a 16-0 lead inside the opening 25 minutes thanks to scores from AJ Towse, Ukuma Ta’ai and Josh Daley.
Halifax cut the gap through Adam Tangata before half-time but York continued to dominate proceedings and saw Davy Litten and Joe Brown add their names to the scoresheet before Daley grabbed his second.
Ed Barber and Zack McComb tries gave the scoreline some respectability for Fax but Jimmy Keinhorst’s late intercept score sealed a dominant victory.
York made the dream start, going in front inside the opening three minutes. Ata Hingano’s bomb popped out of the grasp of Louis Jouffret and from the resultant set, the Knights shifted the ball left for Towse to touch down.
The Knights profited from another Halifax mistake midway through the first half when a Panthers handling error inside their own 10 gifted a score under the sticks for Ta’ai.
Five minutes later, Hingano’s high shallow kick was kept alive by Towse, putting the ball back inside to Jimmy Keinhorst, who put Hingano through a gap. The supporting Daley was on hand to twist his way over the whitewash.
With Will Dagger, Liam Harris and Nikau Williams all missing, Taylor Pemberton took the kicking duties and converted the latter two tries for a 16-0 lead after 25 minutes.
Halifax responded with a late score before half-time, cutting the York lead down to 10 points.
After Fairbank charged down a Hingano kick in his own half, the loose forward found an offload later in the set to fellow front-rower Adam Tangata to get over behind the posts. Gareth Widdop landed the conversion.
York produced an immediate response after the interval however, reasserting their 16-point lead three minutes after the restart.
The Panthers allowed Hingano’s kick to the left flank to bounce and Litten was quickest to the loose ball in the corner.
The hosts furthered their advantage with two quick-fire tries in the space of just six minutes. Brown collected the ball on his own 10 from Barber’s error before racing 90m into the clear.
And Daley then completed his double with a trademark scoot out of dummy-half on the back of a Brenden Santi drive.
Halifax did at least conjure a couple of late consolation scores when Barber got over from James Saltonstall’s flick back inside in the right corner before McComb went across the whitewash, again following good work down the flank from Saltonstall.
But York had the final word on the contest as Keinhorst raced clear from halfway after intercepting a pass from Joe Keyes.
York: Litten, Brown, Lineham, Keinhorst, Towse, Hingano, Pemberton, Ta’ai, Jubb, Santi, Dee, Bailey, Thompson
Subs (all used): Fitzsimmons, Teanby, Daley, Pele
18th Player: Michael
Tries: Towse (3’), Ta’ai (17’), Daley (22’, 57’), Litten (43’), Brown (51’), Keinhorst (78’)
Goals: Pemberton (6/7)
Halifax: Jouffret, Saltonstall, Tibbs, Woodburn-Hall, Eden, Widdop, Keyes, Douglas, Inman, Larroyer, Davies, Gee, McComb
Subs (all used): Tangata, Fairbank, Lannon, Barber
18th Player: Hursey
Tries: Tangata (39’), Barber (66’), McComb (72’)
Goals: Widdop (3/3)
