Valkyrie close in on title with 58-10 thrashing of Warrington Wolves

Despite the visitors taking a shock lead five minutes into the contest, it was all one-way traffic from thereon out, the Valkyrie scoring 54 unanswered points before a late home score to leave themselves just one win away from a second consecutive League Leaders’ Shield.

Neither influential full-back Tara Jane Stanley nor centre Lacey Owen were included in Lindsay Anfield’s squad for this afternoon’s encounter but York were still a class above their opponents on an afternoon that saw nine Valkyrie cross the whitewash – including maiden tries for both up-and-coming forward Jess Sharp and former St Helens centre Carrie Roberts.

Anfield made three changes to her line-up from last Friday’s title-defining victory at St Helens, with Ellie Hendry, Liv Whitehead and Georgie Hetherington returning to action, the latter making her first appearance since sustaining a hip injury in the Women’s Nines Finals in June.

That saw winger Emma Kershaw deployed at full-back, with both Roberts and prop Elisa Akpa missing just four conversions between them as they took over kicking duties from the tee.

York initially saw the better of the play at Victoria Park, Ashleigh Hyde coming within inches of grounding a teasing Liv Gale grubber inside the opening two minutes.

But instead, it was Warrington who took a shock lead against the champions elect with five minutes on the clock, Shannon Stephens proving too strong for the Valkyrie’s goal-line defence after the visitors had invited pressure with a repeat set on their 10-metre line.

Michelle Davis converted the score from in front of the posts to give her side a six-point advantage.

Roberts was tackled just short of the line as the Valkyrie looked for a quick response, but they were soon back on level terms, captain Sinead Peach providing a trademark dart beneath the posts from dummy half to bring up 100 points in York colours.

And the hooker was across the whitewash in similar fashion just three minutes later, Akpa converting both scores from bang in front.

French prop Elisa Akpa scored four of her six conversion attempts, as well as crossing for a try. (Image: Craig Hawkhead)

York continued to apply pressure but found their final pass lacking, Kershaw fumbling a pass from Sade Rihari close to the line before Hetherington’s offload proved too high for the onrushing Sharp 10 metres from the line.

But the highly rated teenager made no mistake from her next opportunity, gathering the loose ball inside Warrington’s 20-metre line before racing away to score her first Valkyrie try, Roberts successfully converting.

Three tries became four for the visitors from the restart, half-back Gale racing forward through a gap in the Warrington defence before playing in Wood, who beat a tackle before diving across into the left corner.

It was the hosts who finished the half stronger after winning a penalty, and then a six-again inside York’s 10-metre line, but Anfield’s side held firm to preserve their 24-6 lead at the interval.

The Valkyrie picked up where they had left off after the break as Gale and Wood again combined, with the loose forward quickest to react to ground a teasing grubber.

Sanderson was stopped inches short of the line as York looked to continue their devastating momentum, but there was nothing that Warrington could do to stop centre Roberts from collecting Rihari’s pass before fending off a defender to cross for her first Valkyrie try into the right corner with 50 minutes played.

Roberts dragged her conversion wide but that seldom affected the scoreline as Anfield’s side again found the whitewash from the restart, young winger Whitehead bursting forward 30 metres to race clear and cross into the right corner, Akpa superbly adding the extras from the touchline.

Liv Whitehead came off the bench to add her name to the scoresheet in the second half. (Image: Craig Hawkhead)

Hyde was the next to add her name to the scoresheet for York after streaking clear from Tamzin Renouf’s sublime delayed pass, the centre then bringing up the half-century for the visitors on the hour mark in similar fashion after collecting Gale’s short pass.

New Zealand half-back Rihari added another assist to her tally with a beautiful long-range pass to Kershaw, who beat off a defender before crossing down the right edge, but despite the game being long won for the visitors, Warrington found a second try.

Having seen her side win a six-again on the 30-metre line and then a penalty inside the York 10, Charlie Magraw opted to grubber, the half-back the first to ground her own kick to bring Warrington to double figures.

But that proved to be as good as it got for the hosts, with Akpa rounding off the scoring with four minutes remaining, crashing over from close range after meeting Peach’s pass out of dummy half.

Another dominant victory from the Valkyrie, who have one hand on the League Leaders’ Shield after maintaining their unbeaten record in Warrington. Anfield’s side now have a week’s break, owing to the Wembley Finals, before returning to action at Wigan Warriors, where they could win the title on August 20 (12pm).

WARRINGTON WOLVES: Stephens, Johnston, Kerrigan, Tandy, Seddon, Davis, Magraw, Downs, Ramsden, Mullaney, Haley, Westwood, Latchford.

INTERCHANGES: Williams, Friery, Barnett, McCartney.

TRIES: Stephens (5), Magraw (69)

GOALS: Davis 1/2

YORK VALKYRIE: Kershaw, Hyde, Renouf, Roberts, Hendry, Rihari, Gale, Akpa, Peach, Staveley, Andrade, Taylor, Wood.

INTERCHANGES: Whitehead, Hetherington, Sanderson, Sharp.

TRIES: Peach (19, 22), Sharp (32), Wood (35, 42), Roberts (50), Whitehead (53), Hyde (57), Renouf (60), Kershaw (63), Akpa (76)

GOALS: Akpa 4/6, Roberts 3/5

POINTS SEQUENCE: 4-0, 6-0, 6-4, 6-6, 6-10, 6-12, 6-16, 6-18, 6-22, 6-24, 6-28, 6-30, 6-34, 6-38, 6-40, 6-44, 6-46, 6-50, 6-54, 10-54, 10-58.

HALF TIME: 6-24