A FOUR-TRY showing from England full-back Tara Stanley helped York City Knights Ladies to an emphatic 92-2 victory over Oulton Raiders in the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup quarter-finals, writes Joe Smith.

York ran in a total of 17 tries in a dominant display to tee up a semi-final clash with former champions Leeds Rhinos at Warrington's Halliwell Jones Stadium double header on Sunday, April 24.

After conceding just six points in their four matches so far this season, the Knights will go into the repeat of last year's Betfred Super League play-off semi-final full of confidence.

The Ladies could also take plenty of positives from the healthy crowd of 502 that turned out at the LNER Community Stadium - the side's first standalone match at the new ground - a figure which betters the crowds seen in three professional men's games at the weekend.

On the field, Lindsay Anfield’s side never looked like losing the match after three converted tries in the opening 10 minutes, the first from Stanley before Rhiannion Marshall and Savannah Andrade crossed.

Leading 52-0 at the break thanks to a hat-trick from Stanley as well as efforts from Marshall, Andrade, Grace Field, Olivia Wood, Hollie Dodd and Sinead Peach, the Knights have already scored almost 300 points this year, pointing out the attacking threat the team now possesses.

In the second period, Tamzin Renouf opened the scoring before the floodgates opened once more.

Andrade scored the second of her brace with a great effort before Ash Hyde finished brilliantly in the corner. Back-rower Emma Kershaw crashed over in the right channel to make it 70-0 just before the hour mark.

Stanley scored her fourth with a brilliant effort that saw the full-back break tackles in the Knights’ 40 before rounding the full-back to cross and, three minutes later, Olivia Gale scored her first try in Knights colours after benefitting from great work courtesy of Dodd.

Oulton, committed throughout and, at times, threatening to the Knights, got points on the board in the 70th-minute after forcing repeat sets before electing to kick a penalty through Caitlin Casey, much to the delight of the travelling support.

Hyde helped herself to a second minutes later before Field rounded off the scoring in the seventy-fifth minute with her second.

In truth, the Knights were never likely to lose this match but the relentless nature of this showing will only stand them in good stead with Leeds certain to pose a sterner test to Anfield’s team.

York: Stanley, Hyde, Renouf, Andrade, Lambert, Hetherington, Langan, Field, Peach, Bell, Wood, Dodd, Marshall.

Subs (all used): Kershaw, Sanderson, Gale, Whitehead

Tries: Stanley (2', 30', 38', 64'), Marshall (7'), Andrade (9', 47'), Field (16', 75'), Wood (24'), Dodd (26’), Peach (34'), Renouf (42'), Hyde (51', 73'), Kershaw (58'), Olivia Gale (67').

Goals: Tara Jane Stanley (9/11), Olivia Whitehead (4/6).

Oulton: Rose, Long, Johnson, Holmes, Casey, Markey, Westwood, Morrison, Ranby, Costello, Fitzpatrick, McFarlane, Aitken.

Subs (all used): Moore, Oram, Smith, Teasdale.

Goals: Casey (1/1).