Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
The team went into the game still looking for that elusive first win of the season. With injuries plaguing a side with real potential, York had previously struggled to get the results they had wanted, and perhaps deserved.
The match started unusually, as even before play had begun it seemed the umpires didn't quite see eye to eye. This was reflected in two of the York players receiving warnings for "back chat" within the first two minutes.
A physical Boston side started strongly, not holding back from any 50:50 challenges. But York kept their composure, and their superior passing game allowed them to relieve pressure through persistently changing the point of attack.
The high workrate on and off the ball, coupled with a patient build-up, enabled York to win the first short corner of the game. In previous games, York had failed to capitalize from these strong positions, but this time the hard work put in at training paid off. Billy Walsh slipped the ball left to Edward Watson, who effectively drag flicked into the top right corner to give a much-needed boost to the side.
This strong start inspired a team hungry for victory, and York continued to dominate the first half with simple passing hockey. A relentless build up of pressure resulted in York's second short corner. This time a cleverly worked ball to Oliver Hughes (a.k.a. "Akon") saw him have the composure to deflect the ball smartly past the keeper to extend the lead to 2-0.
Boston Spa became more and more desperate to obtain possession and started to put in more and more reckless challenges, which invariably put them on the wrong side of the already volatile umpires. York again put Watson in space from a short corner, who again flicked home for the third goal of the match. This was as much a surprise to his team mates as it was to him, as previous attempts in training had been a little less successful.
Confidence was high for the second half, but York allowed Boston's breakaway attack to run, and challenges came in too late. A break which could have been cut out early led to a goal mouth scramble, and Boston managed to force in a consolation goal that York would have preferred to have done without.
However, this only spurred York on to another goal, this time by captain James Hume, and by now York's domination was clear. Boston Spa tried to make up in physicality for what they lacked in fitness, and too many dangerous challenges resulted in two sin-bin offenses.
York Men's 1sts were reassured after a good win against a solid side. The much-needed morale boost means York now look forward to playing Brigg 1sts away in their next game. In their previous encounter, York came away with a disappointing 1-1 draw. Can they now capitalize on this change in form, even though they will play with four of their usual defense out of action?
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