South Wales Scorpions 10, York City Knights 48

York’s 48-10 win at South Wales Scorpions comprised a hat-trick by Ben Dent, which took the former New Earswick amateur back to the top of the club’s try-scoring charts with 13 in 14 games.

But it also included a few scuffles and a brawl which ended with home debutant Harry Cartwright being stretchered off unconscious – swift retribution for having started it in the first place.

Curiously, no one in the Knights camp seemed to know what happened, so it may have been an accident, but if anything untoward was caught on DVD, the Rugby Football League beaks might have to dish out punishment of their own - something York could do without.

A dangerous tackle by Kriss Brining had already been put on report by Aussie referee David Sharpe, although, with little malice apparent, that will hopefully come to nothing rather than mar the 20-year-old’s first game back since breaking an ankle in mid-March.

Aside those incidents, this was a good, solid away win – probably the first routine victory on the road since the Knights were last in Championship One back in 2010 – and it took them two points above Hunslet, who had a blank weekend.

York's team bus had arrived at Blackwood’s Glan-Yr-Afon Park less than an hour before kick off, but the Knights showed no signs of stiffness, scoring twice inside seven minutes.

Scorpions scrum-half Greg Wilde fumbled the kick-off and, in the attack that followed, the ball went along the line for winger Dent to cross after 90 seconds.

James Haynes lost the ball from the restart but good defence held the hosts out and Haynes made amends with a decent run upfield which set the position for Colton Roche to burst through.

Roche had started at prop, pushed forward as one of a few enforced changes due to the game being switched to a Saturday – with Jack Aldous and Benn Hardcastle both having best men duties at their brothers’ weddings, and second-row Ryan Mallinder unavailable due to work. Austin Bell was also sitting out his one-match ban.

In came prop Nathan Harper, fit-again James Ford, teenager Brining - who came off the bench in the back row and generally showed he had lost little of his tackle timing - and dual-reg starlet Ben Reynolds, returning at stand-off after his appearance for Castleford last week.

Annoyingly, not only was the game switched to Saturday to suit local rugby supporters, but it was also given a 2.30pm start to avoid a clash with Wales’ union match against South Africa – only for that international to be brought forward at late notice to 2pm, meaning many of the natives in this union heartland stayed indoors glued to the television. The Scorpions weren’t happy.

Still, the home team gave the bulk of the 235 fans in attendance something to cheer as Jack Pring took the scoring pass after Ian Newbury had been caught by Tyler Craig.

The try came on the back of a Joe Pickets mistake, but he was not the only Knight to err as sloppiness set in – leading to fears of a repeat dose following the defeat at Gloucestershire in previous long trip to the south west.

But they didn’t have Ford that day and, here, the player/assistant-coach settled nerves when, after two penalties helped them to clear their lines, he got to the try-line.

The centre could have got a second after Backhouse smartly gathered a Pat Smith grubber but instead gave Dent his second try.

In between times, home full-back Jordan Sheridan had a try ruled out for offside, and York needed Ed Smith to deny Osian Phillips when a touchdown looked certain.

Pat Smith also had one chalked off at the other end for obstruction. But then came the try of the match to make it 24-4 at half-time.

Backhouse and, particularly, scrum-half Smith were heavily involved before captain Jack Lee darted home for his 12th try in ten matches.

York’s mistakes continued early in the second half and, after Matt Wilcox had missed a great chance, Mike Connor cut the deficit – a simple touchdown after a wild bounce had taken Haynes and Pat Smith out of the game. Paul Emanuelli converted.

South Wales were fired up but three tries in 12 minutes either side of the hour-mark killed them off.

Backhouse blocked a kick in defence, collected the ball and, with a well-timed pass, sent Dent streaking home from half-way for his hat-trick.

Ford then skipped past Wilcox for his second, and James Saltonstall’s fine pass saw Reynolds send Haynes in.

Then came the long stoppage as Cartwright, a former Warrington academy player on trial from amateur Chester Gladiators, was treated by the medics.

On the resumption, Pat Smith’s perfect kick saw Reynolds add a try and his sixth conversion.

Match facts

South Wales 10 York City Knights 48

Knights: Haynes 6, Saltonstall 7, Ford 7, Craig 6, B Dent 8, Reynolds 8, P Smith 8, Brennan 6, Lee 6, Roche 7, Backhouse 7, E Smith 7, Pickets 6. Subs (all used): Brining 6, Carter 6, Morrison 7, Harper 6.

Tries: Dent 2, 27, 54; Roche 7; Ford 18, 58; Lee 36; Haynes 66; Reynolds 70.

Conversions: Reynolds 7, 36, 54, 58, 66, 70.

Penalties: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Sent off: none.

Scorpions: Sheridan, Newbury, Pring, Wilcox, Scrivens, Emanuelli, Wilde, East, Farrer, Vitalini, Davies, Connor, Bateman. Subs (all used): Owens, Elliott, Phillips, Cartwright.

Tries: Pring 11; Connor 46.

Conversions: Emanuelli 46.

Penalties: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Sent off: none.

Man of the match: Ben Reynolds – the dual-reg starlet slotted straight back into the side, this time at stand-off, after his appearance for Castleford’s first team last week, and not only re-formed a good half-back partnership with Pat Smith but also ended the day with 16 points as due reward.

Referee: David Sharpe (Australia) – on the ball.

Penalties: 8-5.

Half-time: 4-24.

Attendance: 235.

Weather: very nice.

Moment of the match: Jack Lee’s try – very different to his usual short-range efforts from dummy-half. Ryan Backhouse out-smarted his opponent to gain possession from a kick rebound near his own sticks, and fed Pat Smith to scamper away. Smith realised he was going to get caught but cut back one way then the other and then found Lee up in support, and the skipper held men off as he got home from 20 metres.

Gaffe of the match: Solid defence, and a little bit of home proflifacy, meant most of York’s handling errors in their own half went unpunished but Joe Pickets was not so fortunate as his fumble set the field position for the Scorpions’ home try.

Gamebreaker: South Wales were fired up after cutting the deficit to 24-10 with the first try after half-time but they were always outclassed and Ben Dent’s hat-trick score on 54 minutes, quickly followed by James Ford’s second, put even a bonus point well out of reach.

Match rating: not quite the easy romp York enjoyed in the reverse fixture but it was still a comprehensive victory, despite a few too many handling errors, meaning the Knights could enjoy this long trip home - unlike the previous one from Gloucestershire.