CAIT HYNES scored a hat-trick as the University of York’s Second team kept alive their dreams of promotion from British Universities and Colleges Sport League Northern 4B division with a 4-1 victory over Leeds Trinity, writes Kathryn Batte.

The home side dominated possession and chances, but it looked like it could be one of those frustrating days for the second team as they went in a goal down at the break.

York started the second half strongly and were soon able to pull themselves level as a long ball over the top put Hynes through, and the York striker produced a cool lob.

The hosts now had the momentum and it wasn’t long before Hynes claimed her second with another assured finish from Lauren Capon’s through ball.

With the hosts now heaping pressure on the Leeds defence, Polly Lees-Collier put in a cross which the Leeds keeper failed to hold on to, allowing Aimee Colbourne to force in.

York’s pace out wide proved too much for Leeds, and an inevitable fourth goal came when Zoë Carpenter sprinted away down the right and squared to Hynes to complete her hat-trick from close-range.

The University of York’s first team were unable to make a winning start to 2018 as they fell to a 3-2 defeat at home to Bangor University in BUCS 1A.

Both sides struggled to take control of the game, and there were relatively few chances in a fairly even opening 20 minutes.

York broke the deadlock on 26 minutes after Rachel Taylor played a defence-splitting pass through to Jasmine Lawton who out-paced Bangor’s defence and clipped the ball over the keeper.

The away side responded well and were soon level as their striker collected a long ball over the top, ran clear of the York defence and set up their central midfielder to finish neatly at the near post.

York started the second half strongly, forcing Bangor’s keeper into saves with shots from distance but, perhaps against the run of play, the away side were the next to score, with their pacey forward receiving the ball from a free kick and finishing emphatically into the top corner.

The hosts continued to cause the visitors problems, and they were rewarded with a penalty when Karli Smith was clumsily brought down in the eight-yard box. Kayleigh Peters stepped up and hammered the ball into the roof of the net.

York now looked capable of claiming all three points, but a lapse in concentration allowed Bangor's striker to go clear of the defence and slot past the keeper for the visitors' first points of the season.