NO-ONE can say York City Knights aren't doing their bit for rugby league expansion.

They helped to provide a National League boost to Gateshead on Good Friday and they've now done likewise for London after another scrappy, uncoordinated and very, very disappointing display.

At least the point accrued from yesterday's 16-16 draw at Huntington Stadium got York off the mark in National League Two, while results elsewhere proved this division will not be as lopsided as many pundits predicted.

But if ever a draw felt like a heavy defeat, it was yesterday.

The Skolars, the Knights fellow newcomers to professional RL, arrived as the only National League club without a win in either the league or Arriva Trains Cup, and in their two previous league matches had shipped in 116 points and scored just one try.

Yesterday, however, they conceded the fewest points in a match since turning professional and quadrupled their try-scoring tally, getting the equaliser with just two minutes left.

It could have been even worse for the Knights, as London came within a gust of winning the match in a nerve-jangling finale, as they - like the Knights had done in the first half - saw two conversion attempts blown away from the sticks by the strong wind.

It really shouldn't have been like that. The Knights, like in their defeat to Gateshead on Good Friday, had most of the territorial advantage but again saw scoring chances go to ground while a lack of application in the final third saw possession turned over cheaply.

At other times the poor angles, timing and handling continually gave London an unnecessary platform, while the hosts' own defensive line, although strong in the main, looked increasingly bedraggled in the second half as the Skolars got their off-loading game going and grew in confidence.

The Knights began as if they meant business as a short kick-off was caught by new signing Neil Law to set off an attack which saw Paul Broadbent held just short on the sixth tackle.

But London took a surprise early 6-0 lead as hooker Kahu Henare broke through after some untidy play, centre Paul Leef converting.

Another short restart was taken superbly by Trevor Krause and York pressed again but this time Graeme Hallas was held up over the line.

Nevertheless, the Knights were soon level as Fletcher went blind at a play-the-ball close to the line for winger Rikki Sheriffe to touch down, Hallas converting superbly from the left touchline against the wind.

York's pressure thereafter failed to break down the defence until debutant Danny Brough ran diagonally to the corner from a scrum for what was an easy-looking try.

A Leef penalty, after the Knights had lost possession cheaply, reduced the arrears and York were then lucky to retain their lead when referee Gareth Hewer deemed Obi Ijeoma offside from Rob McKeown's grubber.

The Knights made the most of their fortune as they immediately broke forward with Mick Ramsden's superb overhead pass sending Mark Cain on the charge. He fed Law, who made more ground before throwing the ball back where Cain picked up and ran over for a 14-8 interval lead.

Substitute Leigh Deakin could have crowned his return to York with a try early in the second half but he, like Sheriffe had done towards the end of the first, dropped a sharp pass close to the line.

Soon after, fit-again Darren Callaghan failed to ground the ball as he stretched over and Law was held up as he too tried in vain to extend the Knights' lead.

York continued to dominate territorially with the wind now behind them, but they either ran out of ideas or individuals ran away from the script and so moves continued to break down.

The win still seemed likely, especially after Steffan Hughes was sin-binned for persistent laying-on, until Leef broke through and fed Henara, who was superbly tackled just short by Sheriffe only for London to recycle the ball for Scott Roberts to cross down the right with ten minutes left.

At 14-12, the Skolars had the bit between the teeth and Sheriffe needed to halt another attack before the Knights regained the initiative as Brough booted a penalty from near half-way to make it 16-12 with two minutes remaining.

London still sensed they could get something and did so thanks in part to some controversial refereeing.

They knocked on their restart and Deakin gathered only for referee Hewer to bring play back to a scrum, at which a visiting player was allowed to gain control of the ball despite looking offside.

Play then moved closer to the York line where prop Ijeoma put his head down and crashed through.

This gave McKeown the chance to win it with the conversion but the wind saved York's blushes and, with the Skolars tails now up, the hooter helped prevent further embarrassment.

Match Facts

Knights: Smith 6, Law 7, Hallas 6, Callaghan 6, Sheriffe 6, Brough 6, Rhodes 6, Broadbent 6, Krause 6, Hayes 6, Ramsden 5, Fletcher 5, Cain 6. Subs (all used): Blaymire 6, Deakin 5, Burland 6, Bolus 5.

Tries: Sheriffe 11, Brough 18, Cain 33.

Conversions: Hallas 11.

Penalties: Brough 77.

Skolars: Mushiso, Oyebade, Leef, Johnstone, Du Toit, Bennett, McKeown, Ijeoma, Henare, Tito, Hughes, Peters, Soloman.

Subs (all used): Roberts, Dougherty, Parillon, Walker.

Tries: Henare 4, Roberts 71, Ijeoma 78.

Conversions: Leef 4.

Penalties: Leef 25.

Sin-bin: Hughes 66.

Man of the match

Neil Law - not the best of times for a debut but showed strength and pace out wide.

Referee: Gareth Hewer (Whitehaven)

Penalty count: 14-6.

HT: 14-8

Attendance: 1,012

Updated: 11:15 Monday, May 05, 2003