Lindsay Anfield credits York Valkyrie fightback against Featherstone

The result was never in doubt for the hosts, who needed just three minutes for Tara Jane Stanley to break the deadlock at the LNER Community Stadium.

Liv Wood, Savannah Andrade and Eva Izumi also found the whitewash before the break, but York’s 28-0 half-time lead was far less than the 52-0 and 44-0 scorelines of their Betfred Challenge Cup victories earlier in the campaign.

But if their opening 40 minutes had been perhaps underwhelming, they were certainly not after the break.

Emma Kershaw reignited their scoring spark within minutes of the restart with Andrade completing her hat-trick before Eboni Partington was put in space on the left wing.

A delightful cut-out pass then freed Kershaw to cross for her second, whilst loose forward Megan Pakulis barged over from close range to score her maiden Valkyrie try, and there was still time for Partington to win an in-air battle and race 80 metres to round off the scoring.

Recommended reading:

• REPORT: Andrade hat-trick inspires York Valkyrie to third win against Featherstone

• Knights' first-choice half-back pair to undergo injury scans

• Former City defender early favourite to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager

 Anfield though admits her side were disjointed at times as they looked to bridge their points difference with leaders Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos.

“It was a decent scoreline, but I felt in the first half we were lacking a bit of composure and a bit of energy,” the director of rugby critiqued.

“That’s strange, because they’re always gagging to get out here on a Sunday. The weather probably doesn’t help.

“But we spoke about it at half time, and in the second half they came out and they played a bit more clinical rugby, I thought.”

Whilst Stanley’s return has been a notable boost for the Valkyrie since the season’s resumption, they are still without regular starters Tamzin Renouf, Kelsey Gentles, Lacey Owen and Rhiannion Marshall through injury, centres Carrie Roberts and Manqualo Komaitai are away with the army, and Woman of Steel Sinead Peach will miss the entirety of the season through her pregnancy.

Eva Izumi impressed, adding her name to the scoresheet shortly before the break. (Image: Craig Hawkhead Photography)

That saw Anfield start youngsters Eva Izumi and Evie Sexton, whilst teenage prop Izzy Brennan was named among the interchanges, but the director of rugby has been impressed with the maturity of their performances.

“We’re struggling, we’ve got nine long-term ish injuries to players who would normally be in the starting 17,” she explained.

“We are going to the depths of our squad, but I think that they’re standing up well.

“Eva has been in and out of the squad now for a couple of years with injury and we’ve kept her here because we know she’s got something.

“Look at today, she had a Player of the Match performance, hit some really genuine hard lines, and she defended like a Trojan.

“She went well, and young Evie Sexton, she’s only 17 but is standing up like an adult.”