TITLE-CHASING Pocklington RUFC moved seven points clear of the chasing pack in Yorkshire One with a 74-0 thrashing of visitors Castleford.

The hosts did not hit top form, but another high octane start saw them score 20 points inside the first quarter of an hour.

Nick Bennett got them under way with a penalty, then good offloading and support play brought quick-fire tries for flankers Jack Holbrough and Tom Peters, plus hooker Dave Birch, with Bennett adding a conversion.

Pock went off the boil and it took until the 32nd minute to increase their lead when lock James Wilkinson pounced to touchdown at a lineout close to the Castleford line. More pressure then ended with Holbrough’s second try, Bennett kicking both conversions.

The best try of the day came with the last play of the first half with a dozen players handling in an 80-yard attack that saw lock Chris Hyde finish under the posts, Bennett’s conversion putting Pocklington 41-0 up at the interval.

The second half brought tries for full-back Bennett, wing Billy Hardy, replacement Ben Stephenson and prop Chris Morton, with Bennett kicking two more conversions.

Cas then gifted Pocklington an 11th and final touch down when a clearance sliced into the arms of left wing Hardy, who strolled to the posts for Henry Mitchell to drop kick the conversion.

York cemented their position in fifth with a 22-12 home win over Heath.

The Clifton Parkers trailed 12-8 at half-time, but raised their game in the second half to take the points.

York went close to scoring in the opening seconds of the game as flanker Richie Roberts collected the Heath kick off and released second-row Mark Benson, who was denied by a fantastic cover tackle from full-back Matt Hallett.

York dominated early possession and field position. However, fly-half John Dawes then dropped a pass on the Heath 22-metre line and opposite number Charlie Lomas hacked clear, collected the ball and raced 80 metres to score and Ben Mitchell converted.

York scored a try on 19 minutes when number eight Joe Maud sent winger Billy Cakaunitabua over in the corner. Dawes’ conversion hit an upright.

The hosts took the lead after 30 minutes with a 25-metre penalty from Dawes following a high tackle.

Heath regained the ascendancy when a driving maul ended with number eight Dave Montgomery scoring. After the break, York dominated the front-row battle and their pressure paid off when Maud and Cakaunitabua punched holes into the Heath defence and Chris Atkinson crossed for a 58th-minute try. Dawes converted for a 15-12 lead.

Man-of-the-match Maud rounded off the win with a 79th-minute try after a run from scrum-half Tom Boyle. Dawes again converted.