Match Report by Simon Pickles

York welcomed Burnage to a breezy, autumnal Clifton Park yesterday. York have been solid this season and lying in mid-table. Some established and very able teams at the top of the league have taken points from them. Burnage have only picked up two victories from nine games played.

Chris Fox and Toby Atkin were both supporting the team and keeping warm in their tracksuits on the sidelines. Tom Hicks joined Archie Fothergill in the second row and Tom Woffendin played at scrum half. Player coach, Declan Cusack, was at fly-half. Shane Goulding, Joe Maud and Ross White together with Willem Enslin added a lot of experience to a promising, settled eighteen with depth.

Both teams competed for possession and Burnage had the wind at their backs in the first half. The Burnage fly-half, Rhys Evans, kicked a penalty to give the visitors an initial lead. Neither team showed a significant early advantage, and both made errors. York winger, Sam Elliott, was the first to react to a mishandled Burnage pass in midfield. He showed clean hands to pick up and run it in for York’s first try. York and Burnage each continued to earn opportunities to score. Rhys Evans missed a lengthy penalty kick for Burnage and a foot in touch denied Sam Elliott a long-range try. The York scrum with Kyle Consterdine, Eddie Westaby and Ross White in the front row, began to play an important role. Burnage attacked the York line and a scrum was formed. The York pack won a penalty after a dominant push forward and the pressure was released.

With York now in possession, and at the other end of the pitch, Declan Cusack passed long to the York fullback, Liam Hessay. Sam Taylor held his space on the wing, leaving the lone Burnage defender an impossible task. Liam eased in to score. Before half-time, Tom Woffendin carried from the back of an attacking York scrummage five metres from the Burnage line. He released a short pass to the inside centre, Will Fordy, who crashed over the line. With all three conversions added, it was York 21 Burnage 3 at the break.

The wind died down and the floodlights came on. York scored their bonus-point try early in the second half. Tom Woffendin picked a direct gap at the side of a York scrummage close to the Burnage line. This time he touched down himself. Burnage got a deserved converted score. After consistent attempts at the line, a Burnage front-rower forced his way over. There was no comeback though. Sam Elliott beat his defender and scored his second try of the game with ten minutes remaining.Tom Hicks capped York’s victory. He broke free and ran to the corner from fifty metres out. Declan’s first missed conversion put him at five from six for the day.

Final score, York 40 Burnage 10. Well played to both teams. York are now at five wins and five losses for the season. The York team travel to play a high-scoring Blackburn next Saturday.