Beverley beat York 22-14 in a useful friendly run-out that produced an entertaining, if somewhat one-sided, match.

In recent years fortune has smiled contrastingly on these two clubs and the present gap in league status was clearly evident in the quality of the play.

Beverley had the game wrapped up by half-time and with all their possession should have romped away in the second half.

In the end the score was much closer than the balance of play merited.

York played with great spirit and threw the ball about but they were well beaten up front and their only scores came from simple interceptions.

In truth they were really killed off by two Beverley tries early on.

After seven minutes David Worrall made a sharp break down the left to put Vinnie Collingwood over and direct from the restart the ball was moved wide for Jade Gardiner to run in a second.

Although they raised their game York lacked the fluency of the Beverley play and their pack struggled in the loose play.

Beverley were producing some slick rugby and only some wishy-washy handling in the centre prevented them from going further ahead.

Eventually when Fraley Hopa broke away down the right and fed the ball to Freddie Oakley the winger sold an outrageous dummy to race over under the posts for a third try.

With Ian Archibald adding the conversion Beverley were again 10 points clear and looking increasingly likely to stretch the lead.

Indeed every time Worrall had the ball in his hands you could not rule out the likelihood of a try coming up.

On the stroke of half-time the outcome was settled when Worrall took the ball in a lineout and threaded his way right through the York defence without a hand being laid on him for a fourth Beverley try.

The second half was almost entirely one-way traffic as York struggled to get out of their own half. With the game won and little to play for Beverley began to go off the boil.

They had almost unlimited possession but persistently squandered it, partly through some careless passing and partly through some dogged York defending.

A lovely run by Oakey who fielded the ball in his own half deserved a try but after a flowing cross-field move Gardiner knocked on when he merely had to catch the ball and touch down.

In the gathering gloom it all got a bit scrappy.

However, there was still much from this match that both sides could take encouragement from. Oakey and Collingwood on the Beverley wings are fast developing into potent runners and both took their tries splendidly.

Richard Bussey ran with plenty of pace from full back, and despite being out of sorts with their handling, Junior Tupai and Jade Gardiner had solid games in the centre.

The pack as a unit did everything that could be asked of them and suffered little loss in impact when the changes were rung in the second half.

York too could take encouragement from a hard working display in which they were well served at full back, wing forward, and by substitute Sam Arkle on the wing.

In the dying minutes they deservedly got some reward for their contribution to an enjoyable and open game.

Winger James Geldart made a simple interception and crossed for a second converted try, although by then the game as a contest had long fizzled out.

Referees at York are never short of helpful advice from the home supporters.

When he blew for full time a good five minutes early even they did not complain.