SAINTS Women’s hopes of completing the treble by adding the Super League to the League Leaders’ Shield and Challenge Cup were dashed on home turf by a determined York, who were in no mood to relinquish the title.

Ultimately Saints were undone by the wicked kicking game of defending champions, who tormented the back three with the boot and ruthlessly capitalised on the spillages that ensued to triumph 18-8.

So sadly there was no winning finale for the departing Faye Gaskin and Tara Jones.

A big crowd of 4,830 packed into the North Stand – and they had the perfect view of Leah Burke sprinting in from almost 40 metres after collecting Paige Travis’ long ball left.

But York soon responded – and from a spilled kick Lacey Owen raced through to put Valkyrie in front with a converted try.

However, two penalties for high tackles – both converted by Faye Gaskin on her last appearance in the red vee before hanging up her boots – nudged Saints into a 8-6 interval lead.

Alas, another spillage of a high kick saw York take advantage with former Saint Eboni Partington going over with Marshall converting from the touchline to rub salt in the wounds and extend the lead to 12-8.

Another error as they tried to pierce the impregnable York defence coughed up the ball.

And in the subsequent set Kelsey Gentles barged over under the sticks, with Marshall’s conversion being the last score of the lead with York managing to control the game and keep Saints at bay for the final quarter.

After the game coach Matty Smith was understandably disappointed with not being able to complete the treble for the first time since 2021, but said: “I am immensely proud of the group.

“We’ve got to take a lot of positives from this year.

“At the beginning of the year, no one had us down for anything.

“No one had us down for winning one trophy, let alone having the chance to win three tonight.

“So I’m immensely proud of the group.

“I’ll never fault their effort, their attitude – they always turn up day-in, day-out training.

“Every game we’ve been so consistent this year, so I think we just made that one too many errors tonight that probably cost us the game, but I am proud of the group, but obviously disappointed.”

York not only terrorised them with kicks, they also smothered the Saints ball carriers and controlled the rucks to deny them a quick play the ball to play off.

Although skipper Jodie Cunningham, Travis and especially prop Vicky Whitfield tried to make a dent in the line York were always able to nullify them.

Smith added: “We just didn’t quite get out of our own half and that probably came down to errors.

“But again we defended our own goal line really well and when we made an error we responded positively and defended our line.

“But if you make you make so many errors something’s going to give at times and when they got that try at the back end of that second-half there was just no coming back from it.

“The girls know that there were probably too many errors in the game that has cost us but we go again next year.

“It’s something to work hard on in pre-season, it’s something to fix up and it’s something we’ll be hungry for next year,

“We have not quite done the treble but hopefully we can respond and have a good pre-season and come back stronger from that.”

Saints: Beri Salihi: Phoebe Hook, Erin Stott, Rachael Woosey, Leah Burke; Zoe Harris, Faye Gaskin; Vicky Whitfield, Tara Jones, Channy Crowl, Emily Rudge, Paige Travis, and Jodie Cunningham. Subs: Naomi Williams, Darcy Stott, Katie Mottershead, Megan Williams.

18th player: Georgia Sutherland.

Tries: Leah Burke (10).

Goals: Faye Gaskin 2/2.

York: Georgie Hetherington; Carrie Roberts, Manuqalo Komaitai, Lisa Parker, Eboni Partington, Sade Rihari, Tamzin Renouf, Liv Wood, Isabelle Brennan, Jasmine Bell, Lacey Owen, Savannah Andrade, and Megan Pakulis. Subs: Rhiannion Marshall, Kelsey Gentles, Jessica Sharp, Remi Wilton. 18th player: Alexandra Stimpson.

Tries: Lacey Owen, Kelsey Gentles.

Conversions: Isabelle Brennan, Rhiannion Marshall 2.

HT: 8-6.

Attendance: 4,813.