Milford Marlins 0, York Wasps 42 (CC3)

Okay, Milford might only be a National Conference League division two amateur side, but a win is a win, and the manner of York's 42-0 demolition - full of skill, desire and professionalism - was impressive given the circumstances.

Last week they had suffered a club record 25th successive defeat and so there was added pressure not only to fulfil their 'giants' status against the amateur underdog but also to end that awful run.

Furthermore, the pitch, staging its third game in three days, was boggy - it only just passed a morning pitch inspection - and the conditions could have proved to be something of a leveller.

But those people who suggested a shock was possible were made to eat their words as the Wasps ran in seven tries - the most they've scored in a single match since they put nine past Thornhill in the Challenge Cup in February 2000 - and kept a clean sheet for only the second time since March 1994, the previous occasion being a defeat of Whitehaven in May 1999.

It was also the second-biggest margin of victory and the biggest away win of all of the third round ties, most of which also pitched amateur clubs against Northern Ford Premiership professionals.

Milford - based 500 yards from Headingley - had been allowed to stage their 'home' tie at the famous old ground thanks to the generosity of Leeds Rhinos, and they started the match as expected with all guns blazing.

Indeed, they should have gone ahead in only the second minute when Wasps winger Michael Forbes complained too forcefully about a knock-on verdict and was penalised by referee Nick Oddy.

Ex-Bramley half-back Marc Gibson stepped up but fired the penalty wide, and thereafter the Wasps took control.

The visitors played for percentages and, as the amateurs made more mistakes than recent opponents have been doing in the NFP, they took advantage.

Indeed, whereas in recent weeks it has been the Wasps who had done most of the defending, yesterday it was Milford whose handling errors in the slippery conditions kept them pinned on the back foot.

Shaun Austerfield opened the scoring in the 16th-minute with a well-worked try, rounding the last man after the ball had past through Peter Edwards, Scott Yeaman, Jon Liddell and Mark Cain.

Jamie Benn converted, as he did six of York's tries, and on 19 minutes added a penalty awarded for holding down.

Then the superb Cain - who revelled in his new role at loose-forward - got York's second try on the half-hour mark, spotting a gap and darting through it.

Wasps began to grow in confidence and, as they threw the ball about more, Mick Ramsden was the next to benefit, latching onto a switch pass from Edwards.

The Kiwi himself had earlier missed out on a try when losing the ball as he scrambled over the line, while Cain, too, had been held on his back over the line. Nevertheless, the Wasps enjoyed a 20-0 interval lead and added four more tries after the break.

Scrum-half Yeaman - the former Hull KR youngster on trial at Huntington Stadium - got his first for the club five minutes into the half after Cain, from Liddell's pass, was held up just short but managed to off-load the ball.

Molloy just failed to reach an Edwards grubber kick but on the hour-mark powered over to finish off a superb move which saw the ball pass through several pairs of hands including Benn, Carl Hall and Andy Hutchinson.

Cain burst onto Edwards' pass to score a deserved second on 64 minutes, his sheer velocity taking him over, while six minutes later Yeaman completed his own brace after hitting a gap and spinning over the line in the tackle.

Milford had enjoyed their own moments, albeit brief ones, especially through the pacy Michael Moran down the left wing, where they frequently tested Forbes with teasing kicks.

Props Eugene Currie and Paul Dunkley also worked their socks off, but it was all in vain as Wasps kept their concentration and maintained that pleasing clean sheet.

Could it all signal an upturn in fortunes for their NFP campaign? It's hard to read too much into a victory over amateur opposition but you never know.

The real test, of course, will be next Sunday's match against unbeaten Leigh Centurions, table-toppers last season. But if boss Leo Epifania can build on the positives, he can have cause for optimism.

The draw for the fourth round of the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup will be made tonight at the George Hotel in Huddersfield, to be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5Live, starting at 7.30pm.

Fact file:

Milford Marlins: Coates, M Moran, Smith, Kennedy, Richardson, Gibson, A Moran, Currie, Blakey, Dunkley, Crockford, Butterill, Massey.

Subs (all used): Hayes, Cooper, Wider, Bray.

Sin-binned: none.

Sent off: none.

York Wasps:

T: Austerfield (15), Cain (30, 64), Ramsden (36), Yeaman (45, 70), Molloy. C: Benn 6. P: Benn (19).

Benn 7, Forbes 5, Austerfield 6, Hall 7, Molloy 6, Liddell 7, Yeaman 7, Docherty 7, Edwards 7, Hill 7, Barrow 6, Ramsden 7, Cain 8.

Subs (all used): Hutchinson 6, Precious 7, A Lee 6, R Lee 6.

Sin-binned: none.

Sent off: none.

HT: 0-20. Referee: Nick Oddy (Halifax). Att: 960.

Updated: 12:16 Monday, January 28, 2002