THREE tries in the space of five minutes just before half-time broke York's hearts and set Workington Town on the road to an 11-try romp to firmly outline their play-off credentials.

Until then it had been an evenly-matched encounter with Workington just hanging on to a 14-10 lead. It was difficult to explain York's sudden collapse after half an hour as they had looked more than a match for the Cumbrians.

But in outstanding stand-off Tane Manihera, Town had a true match-winner. He tore the Wasps' defence apart and had a hand in virtually all the Workington tries.

York had no answer to his enterprising play, and with big forwards Hitro Okesene and substitute Lokeni Savelio also wreaking havoc, Town proved too strong and too quick.

Town coach Gary Murdock said it was their best attacking display of the season, and the chief beneficiary was lightning quick winger Graeme Lewthwaite who helped himself to five tries. Poor York full-back Matt Mulholland was helpless to stop the onslaught as he was faced with wave after wave of rampaging runs.

Not that he was the only one at fault. After two much improved displays over Easter, the Wasps slipped back into the bad old ways, missing tackles all over the park and giving away cheap possession.

That hadn't been the case in a nip and tuck first half hour though when the scene looked set for a real thriller.

Shaun Austerfield celebrated his return to the Wasps' ranks after a six-week break with the opening try of the match. With just two minutes gone, Rob Roberts put a teasing grubber kick into the Town in-goal area and Austerfield pounced on the loose ball to claim the try.

Manihera replied with a penalty before linking with Lewthwaite to set up an easy try for scrum-half Lee Allen, which Manihera converted from in front of the posts.

After 22 minutes York re-claimed the lead after enjoying three sets of six in the Workington 20. It was Mick Hagan who finally got over the line, taking a short pass from Danny Waite and using his strength to crash over near the sticks despite the attentions of three tacklers.

Roberts' conversion edged York into a 10-8 lead but as the advantage continued to swing one way then the other, Workington went back in front just before the half hour mark.

Manihera's long ball was taken on the burst by Savelio and he shook off one tackle before off-loading to centre Neil Frazer who went over for the try.

Manihera added the extras to make it 14-10 before that five-minute purple patch which turned the game on its head.

Okesene broke down the middle of the pitch from inside his own half and found Manihera who looked around for an opening before his long ball out to the left wing sent Lewthwaite racing in from 40 metres.

Winger Jonathan Heaney and second row Jamie Beaumont then crossed in quick succession, and with Manihera converting all three, a 14-10 lead had suddenly become unassailable at 32-10.

Workington made sure there would be no Wasps comeback as Manihera set up another Town try just two minutes into the second half, Lewthwaite's pace taking him round Mulholland.

Okesene set up the next two tries for Kevin Hetherington and Lewthwaite. The latter came after Mulholland had spilled Manihera's towering bomb and Okesene picked up the loose ball before feeding Lewthwaite with the try-scoring pass.

Lewthwaite's pace earned him his fourth try as he hugged the left touchline and raced 60 metres to the line, then Heaney bagged his second with 20 minutes to go.

With two minutes to go Town sub Fata Sini thought he had got on the scoresheet against his former club only for the referee to disallow the try for a forward pass after a long consultation with his touch judge.

There was still time for Lewthwaite to complete his five-star show and leave shattered York wondering just where it all went wrong.

York Wasps:

Tries: Austerfield (2mins), Hagan (22)

Conversions: Roberts 1

YORK: Matt Mulholland 5, Simon Wray 6, Shaun Austerfield 7, Craig Moore 6, Aaron Campbell 7, Rob Roberts 6, Danny Waite 6, Neil Harmon 7, Alan Pallister 6, Mick Hagan 7, Mick Ramsden 7, Darren Crake 7, Lee Badauskas 8.

Subs: Gareth Oulton (Pincher 61) 5, Paul Couch (Austerfield 52) 6, Luke Billyeald (Moore 52) 5, Nathan Pincher (Hagan 34) 6.

Sin-binned: None

Sent off: None

Workington Town:

Tries: Lewthwaite (33, 42, 50, 60, 80), Allen (15), Frazer (28), Heaney (36, 62), Beaumont (38), Hetherington (48).

Goals: Manihera 8 (inc 1 pen)

WORKINGTON: Lynton Stott, Jonathan Heaney, Neil Frazer, Kevin Hetherington, Graeme Lewthwaite, Tane Manihera, Lee Allen, Matt Tunstall, Owen Williamson, Hitro Okesene, Jamie Beaumont, Matt Sturm, Anthony Samuel.

Subs: Fata Sini (Sturm 40), Lokeni Sovelio (Tunstall 24), Stuart Hoyles (Samuel 61), Leigh Smith (Stott 54).

Re-subs: Tunstall (Okesene 64), Stott (Manihera 76)

Sin-binned: None

Sent off: None

Penalties: York 7, Town 6.

Scrums won: York 8, Town 5.

Attendance: 395

HT: 10-32.

Referee: Steve Addy (Huddersfield)

Updated: 12:47 Monday, April 23, 2001