A GRITTY defensive performance by Warrington Wolves wasn’t enough to stop York Valkyrie scoring 70 unanswered points in the BetFred Women’s Super League.
The champions came to Victoria Park looking to put in a performance after a narrow win away to Huddersfield Giants in the previous round, and the scoreline would suggest they did.
But that would be an injustice to the young Warrington side – missing more than half a squad through injury or unavailability – who battled hard, especially in the first half, highlighted by 80% completion in the face of some fierce tackling by the visitors, and solid defence of their own in the early stages.
The Wolves had kept the champions at arm’s length in the opening exchanges, with some strong defence led by tireless skipper Danni Bound supported by Jess Panayiotou and Emily Downes. Winger Isabelle Malyon showed equal determination in holding up her opposite number Emma Kershaw over the try line in the 10th minute as the visitors came close to opening the scoring.
Hollie Gregory was proving safe under high ball too as she and Sydney Alderman-Smith looked to be switching between stand off and full back in the opening minutes.
When the breakthrough did come, however, it was a result of some poor handling by Wire in the York half which allowed their forwards to take them up field and – helped by a somewhat fortunate award of six again on the Wire line – ended with the impressive Evie Sexton barging over from close range.
Ellie Williamson knocked over her first of 11 successful conversions for the afternoon to take York into a 6-0 lead.
Moments later they had extended that lead, first through Emma Kershaw finishing off a sweeping move in the right-hand corner, then the dangerous Tamson Renouf who sliced through some weak tackling almost from the restart to make it 18-0.
With Valkyrie on the foot front and being allowed too many quick rucks by the tiring Wire defence, the tide seemed to have turned after winger Nicole Barnett carried out a try saving tackle on the rampaging Agnes Wood, then Warrington were gifted a penalty when Georgia Mole was adjudged to have been held down for too long.
With Megan Condliffe running the ball in strongly, Bound showed some guile with a deft kick behind the York defence to force a goal-line drop-out.
But again, another Wire mistake eased the pressure and, in the final 15 minutes of the half, first Emma Kershaw in the corner, then Savannah Andrade under the sticks reasserted York’s dominance to give them a 30-0 lead at the break.
The second half was a procession of tries for Valkyrie, starting straight after the restart when T’Leesha Frederick-Maynard barged over – much to the delight of the York Academy players sitting in the stands.
Then Williamson converted her own try down the left to take York into a 42-0 lead, quickly followed by scores from Isabel Bibby – who impressed coming from the bench – and Renouf for her second under the posts on the hour mark.
Late tries from Sexton, then Bibby with a weaving run from the halfway line and Tara Moxon with the last touch of the game took the final score to 70-0, overshadowing the hard work put in by the youthful Warrington side.
Head coach Ged Ginty said: “These girls are amazing, and I’m extremely proud of them.
“We had more than 10 girls out through injury or unavailability, yet they went out there on that pitch and competed.”
