A much-improved performance by the Rams at the Tetley’s Stadium but York get the two points.
On a day when Paul Sykes made his 500th first-class appearance, the Rams were going to need a much-improved performance on last week’s Summer Bash effort to be in with a chance of getting anything against a York side who were aiming to move up to fifth.
The opening half an hour of the game was tense with both sides struggling to create any sort of chances, both sides had good spells of pressure on the opposition line but couldn’t break through. This was until Liam Harris spotted a gap in the Rams defence in the thirty-second minute and gave the away side a six-point lead, when he converted his own try.
The Rams didn’t go in at the break behind however, Welsh International Connor Davies, who recently arrived at the club from Workington Town, crashed over for his first Rams try just before the hooter and Sykes’ conversion made the scores six apiece.
At the beginning of the second-half the away side began to put some serious pressure on the Rams line and although much of it was defended valiantly, Ata Hingano and then Matty Marsh managed to score to extend the Knights’ lead to ten.
At a point when it may look like the Knights were going to run away with it, the Rams answered back when Lewis Carr finished off a lovely flowing move in the corner to bring the Rams to within one score.
Jackson Walker went close to getting that score after being held up over the line but ultimately the Rams couldn’t get the try they needed and Marsh then scored his second of the afternoon late on to secure the win for the visitors.
After the game, Rams Head Coach Liam Finn said “It was a tough week last week for us and we wanted a response from the group, both staff and players and I think we got that today. In the end I think we just lacked a little bit of know how to get the result in the end, the effort and desire from us was there for all to see.”
Another tricky test awaits us Sunday 14th August (15:00), as we travel to the Millennium Stadium to play Featherstone Rovers.
Dewsbury Rams (10): Sweeting, Carr, Tomlinson, Greensmith, Graham, Sykes, Speakman, Walker, Butterworth, Kirby, Davies, Knowles, Mathiou.
Interchanges: Stevens, Blagbrough, Beckett, Schofield
Tries: Davies (39’), Carr (64’)
Conversions: Sykes (1/2)
York City Knights (22): Marsh, Brown, Glover, Ogden, Towse, Harris, O’Hagan, Pauli, Jubb. Michael, Clarkson, Stock, Thompson.
Interchanges: Hingano, Dixon, Antrobus, Porter
Tries: Harris (32’), Hingano (49’), Marsh (58’, 79’)
Conversions: Harris (1/1), Glover (2/3)
Attendance: 711
Rams Man of the Match: Reiss Butterworth