Fax wrap up pre-season with a win as Gilmore takes charge
rower Oliver Roberts posting decisive tries.
Significantly, Fax did all that without skipper Scott Murrell - whose absence over the last five years has generally sparked a collapse to some degree - and his replacement James Woodburn-Hall.
Murrell had left the field just after half time with a knee injury, with Woodburn-Hall following soon after with rib damage.
But with new number seven
Tom Gilmore taking control, and Scott Grix moving from full back to half back, the visitors arguably became more dangerous with the ball as the half wore on.
Gilmore, a close-season signing from Widnes, had engineered Robinson’s opener, looping round from left to right as Fax shifted the ball and then kicking back across the field for the winger, who claimed the catch and bumped off a couple of defenders to score in the corner.
Tyrer converted from the sideline and, although York scored from a Connor Robinson kick, the half back levelling the scores from in front of the posts, Fax weren’t finished.
Grix, who had arguably his best game with the ball in his hands since rejoining his hometown club last summer, set up Tyrer with an inch perfect chip to the corner.
And then he found Roberts, who was very impressive after coming off the bench at the break, cut back inside and reaching out to score, Tyrer’s kick rounding off a solid day’s work.
Earlier, the visitors might have been 18-0 ahead inside the opening 15 minutes with some incisive attacking play down the left, where the combination between Grix and Gilmore shows real promise.
They sliced the defence open for the first time after five minutes, Grix dancing through the line but failing to ground the ball cleanly.
Woodburn-Hall, who started the game at centre, then just failed to ground Gilmore’s cross kick before Robinson put a foot on the line as he tried to finish slick approach play from Gilmore, Grix and Tyrer.
York came more into the game as the half wore on, but the Fax defence proved equal to the task before the visitors’ attack clicked into gear to secure the win.