REPORT | York RLFC Knights 66 Dons 0

The Dons fell to a heavy defeat on the road as they lost out to York RLFC Knights at the LNER Community Stadium.

Richard Horne's side were punished by their clinical hosts in the first half, as the Knights ran in six tries without reply in the opening 40.

The hosts added another six tries in the second half to further tighten their grip on victory, as the Dons were sent back to the drawing board.
Horne made three changes to the side that started in the impressive victory over Toulouse Olympique two weeks earlier, with Edene Gebbie, Hugo Salabio and Sam Smeaton all handed starts. Hull FC loanee William Wilson also took his place among the interchanges for the first time.
The Dons started brightly and made good yards on the left, but the ball was dropped just 12 metres out to grant the hosts possession.
And it was the home side who then went on to trouble the scoreboard first after utilising a repeat set on eight minutes. Paul McShane received the ball on the last tackle and charged over the line from close range to take the lead.
Horne's men defended well on their own line shortly after as they twice held up the York attack before stopping Ata Hingano just metres out.
But the hosts' half-back had his try-scoring moment after 17 minutes. Jordan Thompson sliced through a gap in the middle and offloaded to Hingano, who crossed to the left of the posts. Liam Harris added the extras.
Harris made a run of his own through the middle and looked certain to score, but Luke Briscoe did brilliantly to not only take the man down but dispossess him.
Matters got worse for the Dons on 25 minutes when Sam Cook held off his man to find the line on the right before Harris again converted.
Harris impacted the scoring again four minutes later after getting on the end of a kick and crossing with ease, while also then adding the extras for a 22-point lead.
That wasn't to be as far as the deficit reached in the first half, as Kieran Hudson and Ata Hingano both scored under the posts just before the break. Harris converted both tries for a 34-point lead at the interval.
The York barrage continued just two minutes after the break, with an awkward bounce falling favourably for Harris, who secured his brace from a matter of yards out and then added the extras.
Scott Galeano found the Knights' eighth try of the afternoon in the left-hand corner after 46 minutes, with Harris again converting for a 46-point lead.
The Dons offered a threat with Connor Robinson's kick into the corner, but Craig Hall was beaten in the air to see possession turned over.
Galeano completed a brace on 59 minutes and then a hat-trick on 62 minutes with two breaks on the left-hand side, but Harris could only convert one of the two to secure a 56-point lead.
Kieran Buchanan pounced on a Dons error to see York find the try line again late on, as Harris again added the extras.
Harvey Reynolds also found the line on the hooter to complete the scoring with the Knights' 12th try of the afternoon.
Dons: Hall, Briscoe, Lyne, Sutcliffe, Gebbie, Boas, Robinson, Salabio, Burns, Matagi, Jones, Smeaton, Knowles. Interchanges: Baldwinson, McConnell, Wilson, Tali.