RUGBY UNION
BEVERLEY'S comfortable 49-5 win over Pocklington took them 14 points clear of their nearest rivals Wheatley Hills at the top of North One East.
With eight senior players missing, Beverley might have expected a tough game, but their superior speed and support play, particularly behind the scrum, brought them an easy victory.
Pocklington are the only side this season to have denied Beverley a bonus point and their powerful forwards stormed the home line for 20 minutes with Beverley hardly ever out of their own half.
Pocklington might have taken the lead after five minutes but Joe Holbrough's penalty attempt drifted narrowly wide.
Pocklington could find no way through a solid Beverley defence and two tries within the space of a minute from scrum-half Rob Smith and centre Sam Atiola took the home side into a commanding position.
Goran Jelencic went over for a third and, in a two-minute spell just before half-time, Beverley added two more from winger Tomasi Tunami and flanker Joe Picketts.
With fly-half Phil Duboulay having converted all five tries, Beverley led 35-0 at the interval.
Four minutes into the second half, centre Jake Bishop got Pocklington onto the scoresheet with a try in the corner, but this was immediately cancelled out by a sixth Beverley try, touched down under the posts by Smith.
Pocklington battled on bravely up front but their backs posed little threat and Beverley's lead was never seriously threatened.
Holbrough ran strongly from full-back but generally Pocklington lacked the cutting edge behind the scrum necessary to open up the Beverley defence.
Ten minutes from time, Atiola rounded off the scoring with a final home try, all seven tries being converted by Duboulay, two of them fine kicks from the touchline.