Hunslet Club Parkside 4 York City Knights 34: Parkside in spirited show against strong Knights outfit

Missing several players from the team which won the National Conference Premier Division title with a 100 per cent record last year, Parkside were beaten 34-4 by the Betfred League One champions, but far from disgraced.

Though they were rusty with ball in hand, Parkside gave everything in defence, stuck to their guns throughout and had the satisfaction of scoring the final points with two minutes left.

Michael Hoyle intercepted near Parkside’s line and galloped 70 metres before being pulled down, York were penalised and from that Danny Rowse and Callum Wheeler moved the ball left and Kieran Murphy touched down at the corner.

York paid Parkside the respect of fielding a strong team and were too fast and strong overall, but the Conference side matched them for enthusiasm and effort and it was a tougher game than the scoreline suggests.

Parkside trailed only 18-0 at the break, York’s three tries – Matty Marsh crossing either side of a score from Perry Whiteley – coming inside the opening 23 minutes.

Whiteley’s touchdown and Marsh’s second both came off kicks and Brad Hey added York’s fourth touchdown in similar fashion at the start of the second half, but did not add to their tally until 19 minutes from time when Marcus Stock completed a length of the field move.

Even then the floodgates did not open and York scored just once more, through Hey, with Connor Robinson failing to convert for the only time in the game.

Hunslet Club Parkside: McShane, Squires, Murphy, Waite, Hoyle, Hullock, Rowse, Foster, Murphy, Stanley, Shulver, Thompson, Morgan. Subs: Wheeler, Healy, Elliott, Boyce, York, Biscomb, Cunningham.

York City Knights: Marsh, Mazive, Bass, Whiteley, A Robinson, Cockayne, C Robinson, Dixon, Jubb, Teanby, Salter, Jordan-Roberts, Petersen. Subs: Stock, Horne, Hey, Carter, Blagbrough, Rushworth, Brown.

Referee: Tom Crashley (Wakefield).

Attendance: 1,504.