York Wasps 56, Dudley Hill 10

ROAD TO NOWHERE: Darren Callaghan (number seven) and Paul Darley bring down Dudley Hill winger Kirk Johnson

The ghosts of 1997 were exorcised in the most convincing fashion as York Wasps gained sweet revenge for their humiliating Challenge Cup exit at the hands of Dudley Hill.

From the outset there was no way they were going to let the Bradford-based amateurs repeat their 21-14 third round success of three years.

And with a new-found confidence the Wasps comfortably booked their place in the fourth round, and a potentially lucrative tie against Super League opposition.

After a poor start to the season which has seen York lose four of their first five Northern Ford Premiership matches, Dudley Hill arrived at Huntington Stadium smelling another upset.

But the gulf in class was evident right from the start and when Craig Booth got the first of his tries after just eight minutes the writing was on the wall.

Booth, with four tries and six goals, was quite outstanding but he wasn't the only York player to emerge with great credit.

Andy Preston, preferred at full-back to Darren Callaghan, helped himself to a brace of tries and ran Booth close for the Silk Cut man of the match award.

And for once half-backs Mark Cain and Callaghan showed glimpses of last season's form to control the game in the middle.

Cain's kicking was inch-perfect and he used the blustery conditions to achieve three 40-20 kicks which helped keep the amateurs under constant pressure.

There were first ever York tries for substitute Matt Woodcock, trialist Lee McTigue and Spencer Hargrave, who never scored during his previous spell with the Wasps.

But one of the key features of the game was Booth's incredible goal-kicking. The wind was so strong it blew the York dug-out over three times before kick-off yet to the Wasps skipper it seemed nothing more than an ineffectual breeze.

In the first-half he succeeded with five from six attempts, including a couple from near the touchline, although it proved a little more tricky after the break. A gust of wind resulted in one kick from the touchline blowing right back to the corner flag at the same side of the pitch.

But by that point it was immaterial as the damage had already been done, mostly by Booth himself.

The first 25 minutes was a Booth-Preston double act as the pair took it in turns to score. Callaghan, who was involved in the build-up to most of the tries, put Booth in for the opener then Preston had Paul Darley's inside pass to thank for his first.

Booth was next up when he handed off one player and forced his way over in the corner, and in a case of 'anything you can do...' Preston capitalised on some fine play between Callaghan and Hargrave to go in for his second.

But just as the duo threatened to steal all the glory, their team-mates decided to get in on the act. Shaun Austerfield crossed wide out, again after good work by Callaghan who also had a part to play in McTigue's first ever try in the professional ranks. In a wonderful flowing move, Cain made the break from half-way and Callaghan and Preston followed up in support before McTigue produced the finishing touch.

York's concentration slipped slightly towards the end of the half and after a sustained spell of Dudley Hill pressure, Dean Blankley went over from acting half on the stroke of half-time.

It was nothing more than a blip in York's romp to victory though, and soon after the re-start Leroy McKenzie skipped out of two tackles to race away from 40 metres.

Booth then sneaked over from acting half for his hat-trick before Hargrave forced his way through two defenders to deservedly add his name to the scorers.

Woodcock had a point to prove after being dropped to the bench and he did that in style with an impressive try from 30 metres.

Although Gordon Long managed another consolation for Dudley Hill it was fitting that the final word should belong to Booth who completed the scoring in the last minute.

He has now scored five tries in just three appearances this season, equalling his total for the entire 1998 season and out-stripping the two he managed last term.

The switch from prop to second row has obviously done him good and could prove to be the unlikely secret weapon as the Wasps bid to get their NFP aspirations back on track.

Silk Cup Challenge Cup 3rd rd

York 56, Dudley Hill 10

(Sunday, January 30, at Huntington Stadium)

YORK WASPS: Andy Preston 8, Leroy McKenzie 7, Spencer Hargrave 7, Shaun Austerfield 6 (Matt Woodcock 55 mins, 7), Kevin Gray 6 (John McCracken 59, 6), Mark Cain 8, Darren Callaghan 8, Rich Hayes 8, Gareth Dobson 7, Steve Hill 7 (Mick Hagan 22, 7), Andy Hill 7 (Lee McTigue 29, 7), *Craig Booth 9, Paul Darley 7.

Re-subs: S Hill for Hayes 61mins, A Hill for Darley 65.

Tries: Booth (8, 21, 52, 79mins), Preston (17, 25), Austerfield (31), McTigue (34), McKenzie (45), Hargrave (55), Woodcock (69).

Goals: Booth 6.

Man of the match: Craig Booth

With a 28-point haul, Booth was the only real contender. Fully justified the decision to make him captain

Dudley hill: Gary Whitaker, Richard Barnett (Andy Wilson 27mins), Steve Brown, Richard Bingley, Kirk Johnson (Neil Walsh 40), Gordon Long, Danny Whiteley, Phil Wartley (Mark Todd, 26), Dean Blankley, Jimmy Haley, John Vaieckauskas, Marco Rossi, Bob Chapman (Wartley 46)

Re-subs: Barnett for Whiteley 57mins, Chapman for Wartley 71.

Subs not used: John Exley

Tries: Blankley (40mins), Long (73)

Goals: Long 1

Match statistics

Penalties: York 9, Dudley Hill 13

Scrums won: York 9, Dudley Hill 5

40/20 kicks: York 3, Dudley Hill 0

Half-time: York 34, Dudley Hill 6

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Dewsbury)

Attendance: 577

Match rating: 7/10

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.