Rugby: More misery as Wasps fail to sting Hornets

HANDS OFF: York Wasps centre Spencer Hargrave tries to repel a tackle from a Rochdale Hornets defender

Spotland became a graveyard for York's top teams as first City on Saturday and then the Wasps yesterday capitulated against very average sides.

Both results could have been so different, instead the final outcome is very much the same - both teams struggling at the wrong end of their respective divisions.

At least the Wasps are only five games into their season and have plenty of time to turn things around. They will need that time too, because it is becomingly increasingly obvious there will be no quick solution.

Five games played, four games lost, and the road ahead does not looked paved with easy pickings. After their next league fixture against Batley, York face successive games against Hull KR, Featherstone, Dewsbury and Widnes. On yesterday's performance, it's hard to see where the points will come from.

There were some positive moments though. The first 10 minutes was probably the best they've played all season as they totally controlled the game.

And there were stages in the second half where they looked more than capable of stealing the spoils.

It was good to see Lee McTigue make his debut too, as he bounced back from two months out through injury to make an impressive start to his Wasps career.

But in half-backs Danny Wood and Dane Dorahy, Rochdale possessed the creativity and the experience to hit where it hurt.

York new they had to keep Australian scrum-half Dorahy under wraps but that was easier to say than do. His kicking game was quite superb while Wood provided the touches which at times tore open the Wasps defence.

He made the break which set up the opening try after eight minutes which was rounded off by second rower John Bunce who shrugged off the tackle of full-back Darren Callaghan to score near the posts.

At least Dorahy kept the score down with some awful place kicking and his attempted conversion was the first of three easy chances that went begging.

The try followed some good pressure by York when Leroy McKenzie and Matt Woodcock both went close. Unfortunately it fired up Rochdale who finally began to get their game together.

York half-backs Mark Cain and Andy Preston couldn't quite get it right in the middle of the park which allowed Dorahy and Wood to exert their superiority.

But the next try came from a different source, centre Scott Martin diving over from acting half to capitalise on some static York defence.

Dorahy managed to convert that one then new York skipper Craig Booth replied with a penalty after a high tackle on Andy Hill.

The Wasps were right back in it after half an hour when they eventually managed to get over the whitewash. Acting half Gareth Dobson passed a quick inside ball to Shaun Austerfield who ghosted in for a try which Booth did well to convert from wide out.

All that good work was undone five minutes later when Rochdale hit back. Wood it was again who found big prop Chris Newall on the break and he had too much power for the York defence, carrying Callaghan over the line with him. Somehow Dorahy again managed to miss the kick from virtually in front of the sticks, this time hitting the post.

The second half continued to go Rochdale's way and Wood decided to get in on the act himself as he danced through the defence from close range for a 10-point lead which looked set to put the game beyond reach.

It would have been out of reach too had Martin not dropped the ball with the line begging but instead York found their second wind. Callaghan and Preston switched back to their more familiar roles and with Callaghan operating at scrum-half it brought a new dimension to the attack.

His perfectly timed pass found Cain tearing through a gap to skip over the line from close range and Booth's conversion left York trailing by just four points.

Everything was in place for a dramatic finale but that petered out three minutes from time when Martin took Waring's inside ball to dart under the posts for his second try.

Most disheartening for York was that, like Hunslet last week, they had not been beaten by one of the league's better sides.

These are the games they need to win if they want to reach the play-offs - and early indications suggest that target is a long, long way off.

Northern Ford Premiership

Rochdale 24, York 14

(Sunday, January 23, at Spotland)

YORK WASPS: Darren Callaghan 7, Leroy McKenzie 7, Spencer Hargrave 7, Shaun Austerfield 7, Matt Woodcock 6, Mark Cain 6, Andy Preston 6, Rich Hayes 7, Gareth Dobson 6, Mick Hagan 7, (Steve Hill 29, 7), Andy Hill 6 (Lee McTigue 52, 7), Craig Booth 6, Paul Darley 6 (*Chris Judge 27mins, 8). Re-subs: Darley for Judge 66mins, Hagan for Hayes 75.

Subs not used: Kevin Gray.

Tries: Austerfield (30mins), Cain 71.

Goals: Booth 3.

On report: Woodcock

Man of the match: *Chris Judge

Only on the field for 40 minutes but produced a commanding performance and was superb in defence

Rochdale Hornets: Phil Waring, Gavin Price-Jones, Scott Martin, Sean Cooper, Chris Hilton, Danny Wood, Dane Dorahy, Danny Sculthorpe (Lee Prest 26), Gavin Swinson, Shayne McMenemy, Martin Bruce, Darrel Derose (Chris Newall 25mins), Chris McKinney

Re-subs: Derose for McKinney 45mins, Andy Pucill for Prest 51, Sculthorpe for McMenemy 62, Darren Robinson for Pucill 75.

Blood-bin: Robinson for Dorahy 54 mins, returned 64.

Tries: Bunce 8mins, Martin 13, 77, Newall 35, Wood 47.

Goals: Dorahy 2.

Match Statistics

Penalties: Rochdale 8, York 6

Scrums won: Rochdale 10, York 14

40/20 kicks: Rochdale 0, York 0

Half-time: Rochdale 14, York 8

Referee: Paul Lee (Leigh)

Attendance: 823

Match rating: 6/10

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.