Ponte started with the elements to their back, but it was the hosts who began with more gusto as captain Jiom Rossington led the pack on a long rolling maul. This positively set the direction for the remainder of the game; York’s pack grinding down the hard yards, especially from a Fox dominated lineout.

Indeed, it was a ball off the top that preluded the first try on ten minutes. Jon Dawes launched a simple 2 4 move and Sam Arkle’s angle took him with 5m; the pack hit round the corner to create a classic overlap for the backs and, with a desperately scrambling Ponte defence, fly half Dawes dummied and slid over from close range –before duly converting.

Ponte responded with their first foree into York territory and put over a long range penalty. However, the York backs were making good ground all the time. A 50m individual run from Gareth Singleton, on the quarter hour, had them on their feet in the stands looking to witness the Score of the Season. However, his run ended with him over the line but with the ball dislodged from his grasp. Reward though was soon taken by his fellow backs. THe next play saw scrum half Aaron Thompson broke from a wheeling scrum in the midfield and feed Billy C on a short line. He burst two would be tacklers and rounded the cover for another Dawes converted score.

The wheeling scrum was a significant problem all day for the hosts, with Ponte’s tight head doing much good work for his team. On 25 minutes a lapse in concentration saw York under self inflicted pressure. They compounded errors on their exit sets and conceded a 5m scrummage. There only ever looked like there was going to be one winner here and Ponte indeed scored the push-over -more unfortunately for York worse news was to come with hooker Buxton having to retire early with a rib injury.

Ponte now generated a head of steam and set about clawing back that now 4 point deficit. They worked their offloading game to good effect and punished a rather sluggish York defence into a high penalty count. In the end York were made to pay on the stroke of half time. Arkle was sin binned in the red zone and subsequently the backs were outnumbered wide out on the left for an unconverted try in the corner.

York returned to the fray with that earlier gusto back to the fore. Their normal tricky third period was turned on its head this week; indeed it was a pleasing half of rugby to savour all round. Within a minute Dawes thumped a wind assisted high ball deep downfield; Ponte’s back three committed rugby’s cardinal sin letting the ball bounce; York’s chasers wanted the ball more and Roberts scraped up and fed Singleton at pace to score under the posts.

York now played with good control, playing for position and, in the main, with patience. One or two 50:50s were forced, but they then went back to type; drove the pack in the maul; played in the Ponte half and worked hard to make openings. On 55 minutes Singleton completed a brace, and ensured a team bonus point, with another mazy individual finish to top a series of flowing moves started from a scrum break by Andy Kay 10m from his own line. Dawes kept up his 100% kicking rate and York had a three score lead.

But this league is nothing but competitive, and Ponte showed why had started the day above York. For the next quarter the York defence was tested to the metal and showed some fine resilience and determination. Yet stick to its task it did and in attack still gave as good as they were getting. On the hour Dawes punished some Ponte digression at the ruck with his first penalty. The line, however, finally buckled on 72 minutes, although unconverted, leaving Ponte eleven adrift.

This served only to reignite York passions and -as a last Ponte soiree was scuppered by a brave Atkinson- the pack worked the ball up field and earned a penalty from Ponte frustration, which Dawes landed to the sound of the final whistle.

Last week York gave a progressive display showing how much they have learnt in that first half season, whilst still having much potential to realise. This week was them kicking on from there, demonstrating another step takne and setting a marker for where this team want to be come April. Today, pleasently for the back room team, they showed they know how they score and how to go about it. There is still much work to do and a tricky trip on the road to Huddersfield will provide their next milestone along that route.

The 2nds also came back from Ponte with the spoils. It proved a tough encounter and there was much to thank their hard worked pack for, especially old nuggets Rob Allen and Leon Shoukesmith. Given a pitch perhaps not suited to their open expansive style didn’t help, they continued to play the only way they know. Hugh Nicholson gave a timely reminder to the selectors -with the college semester break imminent- that there are two Nicholson’s to be considering these days, His great early score was the only one in a tight fought first period.

15 mins into the second it was this same junior brother gaving the selectors a second poke , as he notched a brace following some mighty scavenging from his pack. The team looked more comfortable with some daylight between the sides, but they couldn't quite push home their growing advantage until a couple of minutes to go. James Heffernan taking a large step forward on his personal try battle with skipper Dave Ellershaw, with York’s third try. Ellershaw had started well with two early penalties, so converted his nemesis’s score for a 23-5 win.