Wigan thrash York to move up to fourth

Betfred Super League

York (0) 20

Tries: Hunter (2), Harris, Galeano Goals: Bennison (2)

Wigan (44) 72

Tries: Eseh, Wardle (2), Hodkinson (3), Keighran, Field (3), Nsemba, French, Farrimond Goals: Keighran (10)

Jai Field and Noah Hodkinson both scored hat-tricks as Wigan Warriors thrashed York Knights at the LNER Community Stadium.

The visitors scored four times inside 15 minutes and led 44-0 at the break as they overpowered York and punished individual errors.

Sam Eseh, Jake Wardle (twice), Adam Keighran, Junior Nsemba, Bevan French and Jack Farrimond got in on the act for Wigan, who climbed to fourth in the Super League table.

But in a frenetic final 10 minutes York scored four times without reply, through Cody Hunter (twice), Liam Harris and Scott Galeano.

Eseh touched down inside the first minute to establish the Warriors' early dominance. Six minutes later, Wardle powered over for the second after swift play from left to right. Keighran converted both times.

Wigan scored twice more before the 15-minute mark, with Hodkinson free to cross in the left corner after more effective catch and pass. The angle was too tight for Keighran, but he crossed himself moments later and converted the fourth try.

Hodkinson's second score of the afternoon was one of the tries of the season. Field drove away after a York attack before timing his kick perfectly for the easy touch down. Keighran converted from close range.

Field scored twice in the final 10 minutes of the half, either side of Nsemba capitalising on a loose pass to race clear and cross unchallenged.

Inside five minutes after the break, Field and Hodkinson completed their hat-tricks with two more swift counter-attacks. Both were ruthless moves that gave Keighran favourable kicks, which he dispatched.

French added another before 50 minutes, meeting his own searching kick to touch down at the last moment.

The floodgates were showing no sign of closing, with Wardle adding his second and Farrimond crossing to extend the lead.

With a record score looking increasingly likely, York finally got a foothold, scoring four tries in quick succession. Jon Bennison kicked two successfully, meaning the deficit was cut to 52 by the end.

York coach Mark Applegarth on his future after an 11th defeat in 12 games:

"I think in elite sport you always live with that.

"All you can do is control what you can control. I've always been that way. Some years you're flying high and everything is going right, but other years you've got to accept you're in the trenches."

Wigan head coach Matt Peet:

"You can't take it away from the lads that they were pretty ruthless at times and we've got that speed and skill to play and the lads were confident.

"I just thought when it was time to defend, I thought we could have done a little bit better."

York: Mata'afa, Galeano, Wood, Williams, Nofoaluma, Hunter, Harris, Martin, Inman, Vaugh, Field, Reynolds, Thompson

Interchanges: Balmforth, Va'a, Hingano, Bennison

Wigan: Field, Eckersley, Keighran, Wardle, Hodkinson, Farrimond, Smith, Eseh, O'Neill, Thompson, Nsemba, Farrell, Partington

Interchanges: French, Ellis, Margo, McDermott