YORK City Knights boss Gary Thornton bemoaned “a cruel game” when his side lost after the final hooter against Barrow last time out.

He got another painful dose of déjà vu yesterday as a try deep into stoppage time saw his side lose late on again, 20-16, at Dewsbury.

Again York had led for most of the match. But they again ended with only a bonus point and fell further towards the Kingstone Press Championship drop zone.

How does Thornton pick his men up after this?

In truth, they had been their own worst enemies in the last half-hour, after going 16-4 up courtesy of an Aaron Lyons try.

They should have killed the game but came up with error after bad decision after error.

It still seemed like a brave defensive effort in the searing heat – in stark contrast to dumbness and brain explosions in possession – would see them to their first away league win since their visit to this ground two years ago.

However, with 42 minutes on the stopwatch, Karl Pryce, Dewsbury’s big-money signing who had done nothing all game, broke free and flipped a ball out the back door for Greg Scott to win it. Dewsbury had been very average but took the points.

Thornton was shaking his head non-stop as he made his way from the dressing room to the press bench after the game. York’s long wait for an away win should have ended.

His side had begun badly, over-eagerness leading to a succession of home penalties.

Ex-Knights half-back Jonny Schofield duly dished out the first slice of punishment with a neat kick which tempted Dougie Flockhart into an interception but saw opposite winger Greg Scott win the ball and shrug off Ben Johnston to score.

The visitors were having to defend too much even at this stage but got themselves together and responded on the back of their first penalty, awarded for a high tackle by Schofield on Sam Scott.

Smart work by Ben Johnston and Tom Carr allowed Flockhart to step inside Scott and equalise, Carr converting.

The Rams again built pressure but a blooper saw York add to their lead – full-back Dale Morton fielding a kick but offloading straight to Sam Scott, who cantered 20 metres home.

A much smarter offload, by Lyons, then saw Johnston make 40 metres, after which a penalty for a high tackle saw Carr go for goal, putting his side 12-4 ahead on half-time.

Lyons had earned a recall at centre, as had George Elliott on the wing, in the absence of crocked pair Jack Briscoe and James Ford. New signing Sam Latus – brother of Player of the Month Jack – had been tipped to start but was on the bench.

Dean Hadley was also absent for York, which meant, with Briscoe out, the Knights had no dual-reg players in the ranks.

The most conspicuous man by his absence, though, was Simon Brown. Oh how York needed his game-play and field kicking in the second period. How annoying his needless four-game ban for abusing a touch judge.

Carr took on kicking duties but seemingly left his boots at home. Johnston was little better while neither he nor half-back partner Jonny Presley got the team to carry out the game-plan. Dewsbury were never pinned back.

Defensively, the Knights were considerably better. Bobbie Goulding broke through for the Rams but Sam Scott clattered him so hard from behind that it almost knocked out Carr, on the other side of the tackle.

The next time Dewsbury looked set to score, Elliott came up with an interception to spark a counter attack which led to a penalty. Home fans yelled for a forward pass as excellent play along the line, Presley expertly taking a ball around his ankles, ended with Lyons scoring in the corner.

That try was immediately cancelled out as the restart ricocheted up off a York foot to Rams substitute Josh Tonks, the attack ending with Adam O’Brien getting in. Goulding’s conversion pulled it back to 16-10.

The Knights needed to regather themselves but poor field kicks by Lyons, after a mix-up, and Carr, plus a shoddy Johnston pass, and a Jack Aldous knock-on – among other poor plays – allowed Dewsbury to keep the pressure on.

Desperate defence was only going to hold out so long, and it was finally broken when a pin-point Schofield chip gave James Craven a try in the corner.

The conversion was missed so York still led. However, the errors continued: another high tackle by Presley, Joe Pickets moving off the mark on a rare York attack.

Craven was within inches of winning it for Dewsbury from another kick. Instead it was a dropout.

A massive hit by Pickets then knocked the ball from Stephen Nash’s grasp. Yorkies cheered. However, the Rams had one last throw of the dice, and giant centre Pryce – so criticised by home supporters – rolled snake eyes, Goulding converting.

There was actually still time for York to snatch it back. They had men over on the right but, in keeping with their second-half show, they went left.


Match facts

Dewsbury: Morton, G Scott, Pryce, Watkinson, Craven, Hyde, Schofield, Nash, O’Brien, Hepworth, Walshaw, Hale, Bentley. Subs (all used): Goulding, Tonks, Spicer, Jones.

Tries: G Scott 6, 80; O’Brien 58; Craven 68.

Conversion: Goulding 58, 80.

Knights: Carr 5, Elliott 6, Lyons 6, J Latus 7, Flockhart 6, Johnston 6, Presley 5, Freer 7, Lee 6, Aldous 6, S Scott 7, Smith 6, Pickets 6. Subs (all used): Brining 7, Stenchion 6, S Latus 6, Sullivan 7.

Tries: Flockhart 17; S Scott 31; Lyons 55.

Conversion: Carr 17.

Penalty: Carr 40.

Man of the match: Nathan Freer – good in defence and solid in possession, the prop was one of the players who didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.

Referee: Chris Leatherbarrow (St Helens) – okay, notwithstanding the penalty count.

Penalties: 9-4.

Half-time: 4-12.

Attendance: 739.

Weather: hot.

Moment of the match: Aaron Lyons’ try was the product of some splendid teamwork from one end of the field to the other on both sides of the pitch.

Gaffe of the match: there were several daft errors to choose from but arguably the most costly mistake was Sam Scott’s missed tackle on Karl Pryce which led to the Rams’ stoppage-time winner. Scott had been nailed on for man of the match until then.

Gamebreaker: Greg Scott’s winning try in the dying seconds.

Match rating: not a great standard but at least York played their part in another Championship nail-biter – only they again could not hold out for an important victory.