YORK VALKYRIE 52 LEIGH LEOPARDS 0
LORRAINE MARSDEN, LNER Community Stadium, Sunday
DESPITE being a player down for the final 53 minutes, York set up a third consecutive Challenge Cup semi-final against St Helens with another dominant display – this time against Super League newcomers Leigh.
For the third time in three games, Lindsay Anfield’s team scored over 50 points, and for a second time in the same period kept their opposition scoreless.
Only Featherstone have breached the York defence this season, scoring a single try through Liv Grace in their group game.
This time the feat was made more impressive given that Jess Sharp was shown a red card for stamping after 27 minutes.
This was certainly a game that fans of symmetry would like, with five tries, two missed conversions and 26 points scored in each half. There was even a quick-fire double from one player in each half.
Leigh perhaps knew they were going to be up against it from the start when Savannah Andrade powered her way through multiple attempted tackles to crash over the line for the opening score after just four minutes.
Ellie Williamson added the conversion, but was off-target with her next two attempts following tries from Jaz Rampton and Eboni Partington.
The first came wide on the left when Rampton was found in space to touch down, before play switched to the right for Partington to do the same in the opposite corner.
With the midway point of the first half approaching, Rampton broke down the left wing to outpace the Leopards defence for her second.
Despite going down to twelve players, York didn’t let up and a final first-half try followed for Izzy Brennan, who crossed under the sticks from close range for a 26-0 lead at the break.
In a repeat of the first 40, it took York just minutes to get on the scoresheet in the second half with Izzy Bibby going over from close range to increase their lead.
Megan Pakulis and Tara Moxon both showed great strength to break through the Leigh defence and each get on the scoresheet four minutes apart to take the score to 44-0, following three more conversions by Williamson.
The game was already won for York when Emma Kershaw crossed twice in the final 15 minutes to conclude the scoring and knock Leigh out of the tournament.
VALKYRIE: 1 Georgie Dagger, 2 Eboni Partington, 3 Tamzin Renouf, 23 Jaz Rampton, 5 Emma Kershaw, 6 Sade Rihari, 7 Ellie Williamson, 10 Jas Bell, 9 Sinead Peach, 16 Lisa Parker, 12 Savannah Andrade, 8 Liv Wood, 13 Megan Pakulis. Subs (all used): 14 Izzy Bibby, 21 Tara Moxon, 15 Jess Sharp, 17 Izzy Brennan
Tries: Andrade (4), Rampton (7, 18), Partington (10), Brennan (33), Bibby (46), Pakulis (48), Moxon (52), Kershaw (65, 69); Goals: Williamson 6/10; Dismissal: Sharp (27) – stamping
LEOPARDS: 1 Hattie Dogus, 2 Toryn Blackwood, 3 Mackenzie Taylor, 4 Mollie Young, 23 Kim Seddon, 6 Rhianna Burke, 7 Leah Morris, 25 Emily Baggaley, 14 Abi Gordon, 8 Eleanor Dainty, 11 Storm Cobain, 12 Charlotte Melvin, 27 Abby Latchford. Subs (all used): 9 Kate Howard, 16 Lucy Johnson, 10 Alice Fisher, 31 Macy McDermott
SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 14-0, 20-0, 26-0; 32-0, 38-0, 44-0, 48-0, 52-0
Half-time: 26-0
