POCKLINGTON overcame Moortown's spoiling tactics to record another convincing win by 35-10 in Yorkshire Three.

The victory maintains them in fourth place in the table, but with the top two, Castleford and Roundhegians, both losing for the first time, the title race significantly hotted up.

Pock dominated the first half, making numerous clean breaks but not managing to finish them off.

Moortown also escaped with continually killing the ball or collapsing the maul, and Pocklington had to rely on three Kevin Bowling penalties to edge them ahead.

If they had taken their chances they would have been out of sight well before the interval, but some good back play in the last minute of the first half sent centre Rich Williman slicing through for a try which Bowling converted.

Pocklington started the second period in similar vein with a sweeping 80-yard attack from the kick-off which ended with them twice being held on the line. They remained on the attack and scrum-half Johnny Frank shot over to touch down, Bowling converting.

A frenetic burst of scoring then saw Moortown cross twice and Pocklington once in a five-minute period midway through the half.

Slack tackling allowed Moortown to score from a scissors, before Pocklington hit back immediately when hooker Dave Birch charged over from 20 yards. Bowling's third conversion took him to 99 points for the season so far.

Straight away a Pocklington comedy of errors presented Moortown with a gift second score, but Pocklington were soon back in control to end the game on the attack.

Frank dived over from a scrum but had his effort disallowed, however it hardly mattered as into stoppage time wing Fergus Purtill collected a home clearance and ran it back to send full-back Charlie Allen in at the corner.

Updated: 09:34 Monday, November 10, 2003