Doubling up

However, they were made to sweat in the heat at Clifton Park as Hills dominated up front for the first 20 minutes.

A surprisingly subdued York pack allowed the visitors to make the first impact when Mark Sanderson scored a try which was converted by Craig Barker, who then followed up with a penalty.

York hit back through Matty Hargreaves who scored in the left corner after good work by Darren Rutherford, both players a product of York's successful youth teams.

Rob Kama then followed up with a try under the posts which was converted by Neil McClure with fly-half Nic Ventress gaining in confidence with a smartly taken drop-kick.

Hills captain Richard Storey, the outstanding back row player on the pitch, got a brace of tries just before and after the break. He was always first to the ball, cajoed his team-mates and proved to be key player in a dramatic last quarter.

Wheatley Hills built on their lead when full-back Ed Squires broke through York's drift defence to score two excellent tries but neither conversion attempts were successful.

Kicking proved to be the Doncaster-based side's downfall, as they failed with all but one conversion.

Ken Higgins, York's ex-Wheatley Hills coach, brought on Ian Davies to bolster York's attack from the base of the scrum and Davies quickly repaid his coach by scoring a five-metre scrum. McClure missed the conversion, but York were now only adrift by three points Kama relieved the growing tension when he was put into space by Sam Arkle and McClure, possibly for the first time in the entire game, and left a tired Hills defence flat-footed.

York sealed their victory with a try by Andy Kay in the left corner when again solid work by Grant Williams, James Rossington led to a maul and Chris Preen fed Kay on an uncovered blind side.

York need to up the tempo against Sunderland in the play-offs, and certainly in the Shield final if they are to claim silverware this season.