YORKSHIRE Division One leaders York equalled a club record by racking up a 12th consecutive win at Bradford Salem.

A 19-0 triumph was secured by Luke Stockton, Shane Goulding and Gareth Singleton tries, with two converted by Jon Dawes, although the victory was not the most comfortable of the campaign with the visitors reduced to 14 men for a spell due to Lewis Hannibal being sinbinned.

Salem’s Shay Lane has rarely been a happy hunting ground for York in the past, with the very tight pitch tending to inhibit their playing style.

The current team, however, arrived on a bitterly cold afternoon intent on maintaining their league-topping status, only for conditions to play an important part in an error-strewn afternoon.

Right from the kick off, the visitors failed to properly secure a ball on the ground and the resultant penalty saw Salem, with the wind, reach the York 22 where, territorially, they spent most of the first half.

The pattern developed with York trying to play the superior rugby, driving forward, conceding possession and being driven back into their own half, although at no time did Salem really threaten the line.

Subsequently, the breakthrough came when, on one of their forward forays, York won possession at a line-out and, with a strong rolling maul, drove at Salem’s line for Stockton to crash over.

The conversion from wide out hit the post, but the try did not prove the signal for a try fest, as the odd flurry of snow, driven by a strong wind, made the potential for good rugby extremely difficult.

York’s pack did gain total control, though, over the scrums, which allowed possession to be regained after the ball had been lost by frozen hands.

Just before half time, York were then a man down when Hannibal was punished for persistent infringement with his team having conceded eight penalties by the half-way stage.

But, with a wind advantage, the second half began in a more structured way as Liam Hessay gained some 60 yards with a fine kick into the Salem 22 only for the attack to be thwarted by a penalty given for obstruction.

With the territorial superiority, York began to run the ball wider, but the tightness of the pitch still allowed Salem to snuff out most attacks.

However, with the pressure building, the home team knocked on in their own 22 and the dominant away scrum drove over for Goulding to claim the try which Dawes converted for a 12-0 lead.

York, continuously driving forward, then finally created the opportunity for Singleton to crash over in the corner for a fine try, again converted by Dawes.

Although the fourth, bonus-point try eluded them, the Clifton Park outfit managed to keep their line intact against Salem’s late rally, helped in no small part by some fine tackling from full-back George Davies.