IF it's true that the best teams are the ones that can get the win when they play badly, then York City Knights have got champions written all over them.

But no matter how comfortable yesterday's 60-12 win looks on paper, the title is still two points away. And those two points could be as hard to find as an NHS dentist if yesterday's catalogue of errors is repeated next week at Hunslet and in the subsequent games against Workington and Sheffield.

There was a perceptible and frankly unnecessary tension around Huntington Stadium despite the influx of ladies for the second girls' day out in as many seasons.

The Pop Stand choir was eerily silent with the dominant sound that of chewed fingernails as handling errors, hospital passes and forced kicks stifled any attempts at rugby.

Moaning aside, the second half was pretty good with eight tries and a shut-out of London offering something to smile about.

But it needed that to erase the flat, incohesive rugby of the first 40 minutes.

The first half problems were none more evident than on the right wing with Dan Potter and Peter Fox which at one point looked likely to send Lee Jackson over the edge.

But the pair sorted themselves out to run in five second-half scores between them, Potter's hat-trick coming in just 17 minutes, having earlier released Fox for his fourth of the day which saw him flashing his heels at the chasing Skolars for the best part of 65 yards.

Meanwhile, Chris Ross, on the other flank, bagged the individual try of the game. Skolars stand-off Nathan Meischke, who had broken through the Knights line twice in the first half, telegraphed his favourite chip and charge trick deep in the Knights' ten to Ross, who snaffled it up and ran in try number ten.

Austin Buchanan made his presence in his first start since February 13 felt when he grounded a high Paul Thorman bomb in the second minute.

Half an hour later he put the Knights back in front after Scott Rhodes forced Corey Simms back 15 yards and into the post, releasing the ball for Buchanan to pounce on, the mental blowbeing as prominent as the physical one.

Birthday boy John Smith had a decent day in the second row, while Yusuf Sozi almost scored with his first touch seconds after an outstanding move by Craig Forsyth, who broke through a three-man tackle before offloading to Rhodes, who was then held down in the tackle to give Sozi his chance.

And once again it was supersub Jim Elston who earned the biggest cheer after circling the bewildered Skolars defence to get on the end of his own chip.

Sub Joe Helme was again a Trojan in possession, making yards out of nowhere, but getting possession wasn't always that easy with several passes dropped and others knocked on - most notably when running onto a quick tap from a penalty.

It summed up the entire team performance in so many ways - positives hidden among negatives.

But a win is a win in any language - and a 48-pointer at that. And that's one closer to the elusive promotion that the Knights so deserve after a season of consistency if not perpetual beauty.

Match facts

Knights 60, Skolars 12

Knights: Lingard 6, Buchanan 7, Potter 7, Ross 7, Fox 8, Rhodes 7, P Thorman 6, Forsyth 7, Jackson 6, Sullivan 6, J Smith 7, Ward 6, Liddell 7. Subs (all used): Elston 7, Ramsden 6, Helme 7, Sozi 6.

Tries: Buchanan 2, 32; Fox 23, 36, 42, 53; Lingard 48; Potter 60, 64, 79; Ross 69, Elston 73.

Conversions: P Thorman 2, 32, 48, 53; Ross 73, 79.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Skolars: Elms, Thompson, Price, Tozer, Simms, Meischke, Pittman, Gee, Sullivan, Smits, Aderiye, Pitman, Lane. Subs (all used): Du Toit, Castle, Ryan, Williams.

Tries: Meischke 9, 17.

Conversions: Elms 9, 17.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Pittman 22.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Peter Fox - not only did he obliterate Chris Langley's try-scoring tally with four in one match but he was there in support with several valuable breaks.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham).

Rating: Interesting interpretation of ten yards at times and seemed lenient in punishing laying on.

Penalty count: 6-7.

HT: 20-12.

Gamebreaker: The attacking defensive move that forced Corey Simms to spill the ball backwards for Austin Buchanan's second try took the wind out of the Skolars' sails.

Attendance: 1,610.

Weather watch: Not a great day for skirt Sunday with a cold breeze despite patchy sunshine.

Match rating: One of the worst displays for a long time - but if you can still rack up a 48-point win you can't complain that much.

Coach Cook's verdict: "What's important is that we learn from this week and that they don't do that next week against Hunslet."

Updated: 11:01 Monday, August 15, 2005