Brining back with hat-trick for rampant York City Knights

YORK City Knights hit seventy heaven at Pennine Way as they rose back into the play-off places in Kingstone Press League One.

Head coach James Ford was quick to play down the 13-try romp over Hemel Stags as "just two points" but the fact it took his homeless braves back above Rochdale and Swinton and into fourth spot made it a bit more morale-boosting than that.

The game also saw the return from injury of hooker Kriss Brining and he marked it by completing a hat-trick on the hooter, taking him up to 12 tries for the season in only eight outings.

The fact the 70-10 result came at the end of another bad week off the field, in which the reserves folded as a direct result of the community stadium saga, provided further evidence that Ford and his troops are not only countering the adversity but almost relishing the challenge of doing so.

The main damage was done in the third quarter after a scrappy first half and a dressing down by Ford at the interval.

His team sped things up, cleaned things up and scored six tries in 21 minutes, with some of the attacking play leaving the Stags bamboozled and bedraggled.

York had already built a commanding lead by then, despite beginning on the back foot and being far from crisp.

Jordan Howden's kick-off was too long, giving Hemel a penalty and allowing them to start deep in opposition territory.

The Knights' goal-line defence was up to the task, though, and two penalties took York upfield where Howden dummied in.

From the restart, Brining forced his way through tackles, streaked upfield and gave Howden his second try in as many minutes.

On 16 minutes, Brining did what Brining was doing before his injury absence – forcing his way over from close-range.

Three minutes later, he again broke through single-handedly and, with men either side, he gave the ball to Josh Tonks. The second-row's path was blocked but he gave it back to Brining to finish.

The hooker, back in place of the unavailable Pat Smith, was one of three changes to the team that had beaten London Skolars, with Brad Nicholson and on-loan Micky Learmonth also back in the engine room.

The 20-0 scoreline disguised the fact there had been too much cheap turnover by Ford's men.

Their defence had been up to the task but it was bound to be breached if they kept giving the ball away – and it was on 27 minutes as a fumble by Harry Carter, on for Brining, gave the hosts an attacking platform, exacerbated by two penalties.

Alex Ingarfield crashed over, BJ Swindells converting.

Tonks had a try ruled out for obstruction and back-to-back penalties had fussy referee Tom Grant having a word with York's stand-in skipper Jack Aldous.

Nevertheless, in their next attack, winger James Clare, trapped by the left sideline, kicked smartly inside and Ben Dent beat the ball to the dead-ball line.

Dent had enjoyed goal-kicking coaching from former Knights player-boss and England captain Chris Thorman in midweek. But he missed with two of his four conversion attempts, including one from bang in front of the sticks.

Howden took over those duties following Dent's try and made it 26-6 at half-time, going on to finish with six before Dent returned to convert Brining's hat-trick score.

It was a comfortable lead but York's completion rate of 60 per cent, along with the stop-start action and slow ruck speed, displeased Ford.

His team upped the ante on the resumption and scored 60 seconds in.

Greg Minikin scooped up the loose ball following a Jonny Presley kick and somehow carved a route through the retreating defence.

When Nev Morrison dropped a steepling kick by Jy-Mel Coleman, the Stags could have replied but the covering defence came to the winger's rescue.

Soon enough, Morrison was involved in sending Minikin away down the right and the centre's superb one-handed inside pass, when he looked sure to be tackled into touch, gave Harry Carter a try.

Within two minutes, Clare again kicked inside and the ball broke free to give Ben Dent his second.

Morrison was harshly penalised for a shoulder charge on James Woodburn-Hall as the stand-off kicked forward.

Nevertheless, he was the one soon to smile as Presley intercepted, raced 70 metres and, when he was about to be caught, handed the ball on to Morrison to score.

That was the cue for some exhibition rugby.

The ball went left for Clare to finish expertly, before a cracking off-the-cuff move down the right twisted the Stags inside-out, Presley and Minikin heavily involved as Ed Smith scored.

Minikin then provided another superb assist, bewildering two defenders before sending in the unmarked Morrison.

And it should have been more as Liam Cunningham broke down the opposite flank only for Presley to juggle and drop his inside ball with the line at his mercy.

The game got scrappy again late on and York were punished as Conor Boyd-Barnes, on his debut after rising through the Hemel ranks, crashed over.

But Brining had the last word as he brushed off more weak tackling to complete his treble.

MATCH FACTS

Hemel: Olpherts, McNamara, Swindells, Brown, Anthony, Woodburn-Hall, Coleman, Stewart, Helliwell, Castle, Ingarfield, Mbaraga, Sadler. Subs (all used): Darby, Cousinie, Chester, Barnes.

Tries: Ingarfield 27; Boyd-Barnes 79. Conversions: Swindells 27. Penalties: none.

Sent off: none. Sin-binned: none.

Knights: B Dent 7, Clare 7, Minikin 9, Channing 7, Morrison 7, Presley 8, Howden 9, Applegarth 8, Brining 8, Aldous 7, E Smith 7, Tonks 7, Nicholson 7. Subs (all used): Carter 6, Cunningham 7, Blagbrough 7, Learmonth 7.

Tries: Howden 5, 7; Brining 16, 19, 80; B Dent 36, 49; Minikin 41; Carter 47; Morrison 55, 70; Clare 59; E Smith 62. Conversions: B Dent 5, 16, 80; Howden 36, 41, 47, 49, 59, 62. Penalties: none.

Sent off: none. Sin-binned: none.

Man of the match: Jordan Howden – set the ball rolling with two early tries and came up with a commanding performance throughout at half-back.

Referee: Tom Grant (Widnes) - over-officious, especially in the first half, yet without speeding up the rucks.

Penalty count: 10-5

Half-time: 6-26

Weather: pleasant

Attendance: 145

Moment of the match: if Greg Minikin's inside ball for Harry Carter to score was right out of the top drawer, the free-flowing off-the-cuff rugby that ended with Ed Smith scoring and the Stags defence twisted in knots, was simply sumptuous, Minikin and Jonny Presley being prominent.

Gaffe of the match: it was glaring but not costly. Nev Morrison looked concerned underneath one of Jy-Mel Coleman's high, steepling bombs, and the ball duly went straight through his grasp. Hemel could and perhaps should have scored but the defence scrambled well and ultimately forced the error.

Gamebreaker: if Hemel had kicked on after crossing the whitewash to cut the deficit to 20-6 – and they had chances to do so – it could have been a closer scrap but York's defence was more than up to the task and, as their attack became increasingly ruthless, the scoreboard got busier.

Match rating: the first half was too scrappy, slow and stop-start as York were dragged down at times to the Stags' level on the small Pennine Way pitch, but the visitors still built a commanding lead before running riot in the third quarter to bag some cracking tries and set up a big win.