Dominant to the extent that Darlington became ineffectual!

A positive start by York was a signature of how they intended to play the game. The Darlington kick-off was caught cleanly and York set up a drive. As York laid the ball back from the ruck and moved it out wide to the right before switching play back across the pitch to the left. The strong, cross-field breeze was making passing difficult to control and a knock-on temporally halted the York attack. Darlington won their own scrum but York pinned back an intended break out. A loose pass halts York's next attack. Darlington win their scrum but fail to find touch as they kick from their own 22. York collect the kick and make ground before moving the ball along the back line from left to right where winger Alex Barnard crosses in the corner. (5-0). The Darlington restart dropped straight into the waiting arms of second row, Chris Cambridge. Setting off on one of his trademark runs, he goes wide of the onrushing Darlington forwards before racing along the touchline and rounding behind the posts. Cameron Atkinson added the conversion. (12-0). Not to be outdone it York's other second row, Tom Leonard who took a clean catch of the Darlington restart. Being further infield this time, Tom drove straight and the ensuing drive took play up the Darlington 22 before it was halted. As the ball was laid back it was moved swiftly along the back line but forced into touch with no ground gain. York wins possession from the Darlington line but a knock-on suspends the attack. Darlington wins their own scrum but fail to find touch with their clearance kick. York gather the ball and set up another attack, first driving then moving the ball wide along the backs. As second phase play switches back across the field, Tom Bullough steps inside his opposite number to score. Cameron Atkinson duly adds the conversion. (19-0). York knock-on from the restart and give Darlington their first attacking position of the game within the York half. Territory, which up to now, they had seen only from a distance. Darlington wins their scrum but York is up quickly and pins back any threatened attack. Darlington are penalised for coming off-side, York run the ball and take play back into the Darlington half before a knock-on stops play. Darlington wins their own scrum but then loose possession in a subsequent ruck. York drives into the Darlington 22 but are held as they try to move the ball along the backs. The ball is securely recycled and Callum Simpson is on hand to see a small gap, break through and score. (24-0). Learning from earlier errors, Darlington restart with a kick beyond York's second rows. This time, however, it is York's number eight who gathers cleanly before setting off on a run down the 5m channel, where he is narrowly edged into touch. York wins the Darlington line and attack but a chip over their backs is straight into the hands of their fullback who sets up a counter-attack. York cover and defend well, dislodging the ball in a tackle for Harry Richardson to pick up, step inside a would-be tackler before rounding the cover defense to score in the corner. (29-0). York make a clean catch of the restart, drive but subsequently spill the ball as it is moved wide. Darlington counter-attacks with the referee playing advantage. Darlington do gain ground but immediately the referee calls advantage over, York win rucked ball and breaks down the blindside. Darlington look to have the attack covered but Chris Cambridge takes a pass on the overlap and races away to touch down behind the posts, from in front of which Cameron Atkinson adds two points. (36-0). York fumble the Darlington restart but win the ensuing scrum. York breaks blind but is held. York lays back the ball and attacks only for them to loose possession over the Darlington line. York attacks again from Darlington's 22 dropout but chip straight to a Darlington defender who clears the ball to touch. Darlington defends two further attacks before building a sustained attack into the York half. Handling errors inhibit York counter attacking as Darlington takes some respite from being in the York half of the field. Darlington wins their own scrum but then loose possession as they attempt to drive. The ball finds itself in the hands of Chris Cambridge who breaks from his own half before going up a gear to outpace a chasing Darlington defender to touch down under the posts. Cameron Atkinson adds the conversion on the point of halftime. (43-0).
HALF TIME : YORK 43 DARLINGTON 0.

There is expectation from the supporters of a massive points tally and York are intent to please as they start the second half. Darlington fail to make a clean catch of the York kickoff and knock the ball backward before trying to run from a deep, defensive position. Following up quickly, York catch them in possession and drive them backwards. With ball in hand, Tom Leonard breaks from the rear of a ruck and races over near the posts for Cameron Atkinson to add the conversion. (50-0). Confidence spills over into over eagerness as York making many handling errors thus conceding possession to Darlington. Darlington, to their credit, never gave up and throughout the game did win most of their own scrums. York also started to experience poorer quality ruck ball as forwards began to wait for a pass rather than commit themselves in securing possession. Against all this, however, it was York who continued to maintain superiority. It was only a matter of time before York did eventually add to their tally. Darlington won a defensive scrum in their own 22 and tried to run from deep. Unfortunately for them a pass went astray and it was Tom Bullough who was on hard to gather the loose ball for an unopposed run-in. Cameron Atkinson added the conversion. (57-0). York could add to this tally as the final phases of the game were played out with York attacking and Darlington defending. York were making too many handling errors allowing Darlington to sustain a defense, especially from set scrums where they had been able to secure most of their own ball throughout. There was no doubt though that the blustery wind made handling difficult thus contributing to a large error count from both sides
FULL TIME : YORK 57 DARLINGTON 0.

It was a dominant display by York. With victory secured early in the second half they had some excuse for a less than clinical display during the latter parts of the game. With six different players, both forwards and backs, scoring tries; it was a solid team performance and a credit to all the players. Credit too to a Darlington side who never gave up but on the day could do little other than defend their line.

Try Scorers:

Alex Barnard
Callum Simpson
Chris Cambridge (3)
Tom Leonard
Tom Bullough (2)
Harry Richardson

Conversions:

Cameron Atkinson (6)

Players Man of the Match:

Chris Cambridge