York RUFC step up top-four push in Yorkshire One (From York Press)

York RUFC step up top-four push in Yorkshire One

12:08pm Monday 11th March 2013 in Sport

YORK RUFC stepped up their push for a top-four finish in Yorkshire One with a 30-3 victory at struggling Knottingley.

The Clifton Parkers, who are five points behind fourth-placed Wath-on-Dearne, led 17-3 at half-time and saw out the game superbly in terrible conditions.

Jon Dawes enjoyed a 100 per cent success rate with the boot before picking up an injury and York had three other standout players.

South African Willem Enslin and Freddie Potrykus were superb in the pack, while Charlie Nicholson shone in the backs.

The first score of the game went to York’s Gareth Singleton as he rounded off a passing move by touching down for Dawes to add the extras.

Enslin then scored from a wheeling scrum five metres out and Dawes obliged with the boot for a 14-0 lead after 12 minutes.

When York were caught offside Knottingley converted a penalty to post their only points of the match.

The hosts lost a player to the sin-bin for interfering at the ruck, while York added one more score when Dawes kicked a penalty.

Five minutes into the second half, Dawes added another penalty before leaving the field injured.

Joe Maud took a quick lineout to Nicholson and his break created a second try for Enslin in the 70th minute.

York had the final say with five minutes remaining when a good break by Pete Martin sent in Joe Kirker.

Selby moved to within a point of second-placed Yarnbury by beating their Yorkshire Two promotion rivals 10-6 at Sandhill Lane.

The Swans now have a promotion place in their own hands as they hold two games in hand.

Yarnbury went in front after five minutes with a Stephen Riley penalty after Selby were penalised for a scrum offence. Another Riley penalty after 36 minutes gave Yarnbury a 6-0 lead, while Josh Cruise missed two difficult chances for Selby.

Towards the end of the half, the Selby backs had a purple patch which resulted in a 7-6 interval lead.

Cruise chipped through the defence from 15 metres and the ball ricocheted to number eight Martin Protheroe, whose sprint to the line resulted in a try under the posts and an easy conversion for Cruise. Fly-half Cruise dropped a goal two minutes into the second half after sparkling back play by Alex Webster, Dan Porter and Ben Lunt.

The rest of the game yielded no further scores, with Selby having to survive regular batterings from the Yarnbury forwards.

Tempers flared on 53 minutes and, despite all 30 players getting involved, Cruise was yellow-carded.

Six minutes later, second row Karim Brown followed him into the bin, but Selby’s 13 men held out.

Yorkshire Three strugglers York RI crashed to a 58-14 defeat at second-placed Goole.

In-form Pocklington RUFC picked up their fifth straight win in North One East, beating visitors Wheatley Hills 17-13.

Home pressure coupled with Wheatley errors saw wing Nick Bennett on target with three penalties to kick Pock into a 9-0 lead.

Hills took their chance to attack late in the first half and banged over two penalties to make it 9-6 at the break.

Pock regained the initiative at the start of the second period with centre Jack Holbrough helping to pave the way for a try by centre Jake Bishop.

Bennett gave Pock breathing space with a long penalty, but Wheatley Hills were given late hope by an 80-metre interception try. Wheatley pressed in stoppage time, but the home defence held firm.

Malton & Norton went down 38-29 at home to Keighley despite a hat-trick of tries by star man Ryan Lonsdale.

Centres Ian Cooke and Lonsdale scored first-half tries for Malt, both converted by Ali Heard, but they trailed 24-14 at the break.

Lonsdale scored twice early in the second half to level the scores, but the hosts could only manage a score by flanker Ali Coe as Keighley wrapped up the win.