Whitehaven 26 York City Knights 18

Whitehaven: Abram, Thompson, Taylor, Mossop, Parker, Aiye, Phillips, Shackley, Tilley, Forster, Cooper, Gillam, Howarth. Subs (all used): Eaves, Brown, Coward, Holliday.

Tries: Parker 16; Gillam 41; Abram 64; Thompson 70.

Conversions: Abram 16, 64, 70 (3/4).

Penalties: Abram 28, 77 (2/3).

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Knights: Cockayne 6, Robson 6, Batchelor 6, Butler-Fleming 6, Hey 7, Horne 5, C Robinson 6, A Robinson 6, Ellis 7, Siddons 7, Walne 7, Scott 6, Spears 6. Subs (all used): Jubb 6, Kelly 6, Roche 5, Porter 6.

Tries: C Robinson 4; Horne 35; Robson 37.

Conversions: C Robinson 4, 35, 37 (3/3).

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: Batchelor 64.

Man of the match: There were no standout performances in a battling but bad day at the office, but Jordan Walne gave a decent show in the back row on his second dual-reg appearance for York, capped by the brilliant run which set up the team’s third try.

Referee: Tom Crashley (Wakefield) – the one-sided penalty count added to York’s woes, and Joe Batchelor’s sin-binning looked odd from the stands, but he wasn’t too bad generally.

Penalty count: 14-3

Half-time: 8-18

Weather: sunny and warm.

Attendance: 500 approx

Moment of the match: Jordan Walne’s 60-metre run that set up York’s third try was superb, deceiving and swatting off defenders in equal measure. It ended with Graeme Horne putting Ash Robson in for an 18-6 lead, possibly a little against the run of play.

Gaffe of the match: it didn’t exactly cost York the match but Connor Robinson kicked off the second half by booting the ball out on the full, putting Whitehaven immediately onto the front foot, a position from which they scored and never looked back, the Knights unable to change momentum thereafter.

Gamebreaker: It never looked like York would hit back after Whitehaven took the lead with 10 minutes to go, and there would certainly be no way back after the hosts’ 77th-minute penalty put them eight points ahead.

Match rating: Whitehaven is a horrible place to go and it was again for York – even in the sun this time - as the home team won the second half hands down and ultimately wore the Knights out. The visitors’ effort could not be questioned in another compelling match but they never got going in possession, the enforced positional changes clearly having an adverse effect.