10:29am Thursday 18th February 2010
By Peter Martini
YORK City Knights gave themselves a fine opportunity to reach the Northern Rail Cup knockout stages with a 36-12 group win at Rochdale.
Centre Lee Waterman and big prop Brett Waller were the stars, with five tries between them – a Waterman double at the end of the first half being followed by two in quick succession by Waller early in the second to take the game away from the plucky Hornets.
Hat-trick hero Waterman, in particular, having struggled to make his mark against Sheffield’s superb three-quarters during Sunday’s defeat, despite his consolation try, bounced back with a fine performance.
It was a solid show all round by player/caretaker-coach Chris Thorman’s men against the first Championship One side they have faced this term. Another, at home to London Skolars on Sunday, could send them into the quarter-finals.
York had been put under early pressure as Steve Lewis lost the ball in their first set, but on this occasion, like whenever Rochdale threatened, York rose a gear.
Winger Lewis, as reported by The Press, was one of four changes in personnel after Sunday.
One of the others, Mark Applegarth, had given a scare in the warm-up when he needed treatment on a calf. Aussie scrum-half Casey Bromilow was 18th man and the coaching staff would not have appreciated a hasty reshuffle of the pack, with only two forwards left on the bench.
As it was, Player of the Year Applegarth took two big hits in the first two tackles and was okay – but Lewis limped off after 27 minutes, with substitute hooker Paul Stamp having to fill in on the wing, and Joe McLocklan having a busy evening at dummy-half.
Hornets coach John Stankevitch, disappointed with his team’s defensive effort against Dewsbury on Sunday, made no fewer than eight changes, as he checks out his new-look squad ahead of the league campaign. Hornets, with two defeats from two, had no chance of progressing anyway.
It was one of the players retained in the side that messed up for York’s opening score. Wayne English, the experienced full-back signed from Swinton, dropped a Chris Thorman bomb in goal.
The ball seemed to go backwards and referee Craig Halloran also pheeped his whistle expecting to signal a 20-metre restart, but instead gave York a scrum, after which Jonathan Schofield sent in Waterman.
York soon had a man advantage, too, as Dayne Donoghue was sin-binned for a late challenge on kicker Thorman.
However, having conceded 28 points against Sheffield with a man over, they conceded six here, Liam Bostock getting over from dummy-half, Craig Ashall goaling.
York had a half-chance from inside their own half as Mike Mitchell made ground out wide but his inside pass was poor.
The finish on the other flank, with the teams even again, was much better – Waterman beating two men after good hands from young scrum-half Schofield and Richard Blakeway.
The next, on half-time, was just as good. Schofield picked off a Ryan Powell pass on his own line and sped the length of the field.
Waterman missed each conversion from wide left, but was successful three times after the break, the first after Alex Benson’s fine pass sent fellow prop Waller barging through the full-back.
Thorman’s controlling influence continued with a 40-20, and Wayne Reittie’s smart kick won a scrum ten yards out, from which Waller blasted over again.
Another try was on only for Halloran to harshly bring York back for a forward pass after one of several fines run by Waterman, and York should have had more joy down the same flank when Reittie was halted by English when a scoring inside pass was on.
The next time the ball was flung left, though, Waterman completed a fine treble.
Dean Hatton scored a consolation try and goal, but York had the last word with a length-of-the-field interception try by, of all people, Chris Clough, the second-row showing some speed, and a wave to the crowd along the way.
Hornets: English, Johnson, Gorton,Smith, Taylor, Powell, Duffy, Samuel, Bostock, Austick, Ashall, Hobson, Donoghue.
Subs (all used): Hore, Cocker, Hatton, Roper.
Tries: Bostock 15, Hatton 71.
Conversions: Ashall 15, Hatton.
Penalties: None.
Drop goals: None.
Sin-binned: Donoghue 12.
Sent off: None.
Knights: Ratcliffe 7, Reittie 8, Mitchell 6, Waterman 9, Lewis 5, Thorman 7, Schofield 7, Applegarth 6, McLocklan 7, Benson 6, Ross 6, Clough 7, Blakeway 7.
Subs (all used) Hill 6, Hardbottle 6, Waller 8, Stamp 6.
Tries: Waterman 6, 30, 63; Scofield 40, Waller 44, 49; Clough 77.
Conversions: Waterman 44, 49, 63, 77.
Penalties: None.
Drop goals: None.
Sin-binned: None.
Sent off: None.
Man of the match: Lee Waterman – scored a hat-trick of tries and constantly troubled his opposite numbers with good running at centre.
Referee: Craig Halloran (Dewsbury) rating: unsure at times but did not duly affect proceedings.
Attendance: 362.
Half-time: 6-12.
Penalty count: 6-6.
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