NESTLE Rowntree RUFC have one hand on the Yorkshire Northern Merit League title after a 47-12 victory at Pontefract 3rds.

The championship honours can now be sealed with victory in the return fixture in 10 days' time.

Rowntree started with the slope and wind advantage but too often they paid for "white line fever" when they should have passed.

Nevertheless, the deadlock was broken after 15 minutes when new centre Fatayi Okotete crashed through and, six minutes later, full-back Morgan Cames hacked on a loose ball and won the race to touch down another converted try.

Ponte hit back with a converted score, but Trees were not going to pay for squandering chances.

Cames got his second try to give them more breathing space at half-time and, although Ponte scored again after the resumption with Trees having let some refereeing decisions get to them, the visitors' superior fitness saw them run amok in the last quarter.

Tries came from prop Zak Hardy, Cames, completing his hat-trick, fly-half Harder and, with his 15th of the season, hooker Jack Gabbatiss. Harder missed only the last conversion attempt.