"WE'RE not panicking."

That was the underlying message from York City Knights coach James Ford after his side lost 62-6 to Featherstone in their second outing of pre-season, following on from the 62-0 defeat to Hull.

York conceded 11 tries at Moor Lane – the game was played at Pontefract RUFC – after letting in ten against Hull, but rookie boss Ford was quick to put it all into perspective, saying they had a scratch side out against high-quality opponents, and it remained early days in their pre-season preparations.

York’s League One campaign doesn’t start until April, with League Cup and Challenge Cup ties preceding them in March. Featherstone, by comparison, kick off their Championship season in a fortnight and this was their fourth and final hit-out.

Said Ford: “I’m disappointed with the scoreline. I didn’t think it reflected the efforts throughout the majority of the game.

“At times we showed good character defending our own goal line and that kind of thing will stand us in good stead when our season kicks off.

“We’ve still got two blocks of training to get through to make sure we hit our straps before starting our season.

“We’re not panicking. We played a full-strength Super League side last time and this time one of the favourites in the competition above us.

“We have six, seven, eight players who should be available sooner rather than later, and it’s a couple of months before our league season starts so it’s about building up to that.”

Asked about defensive frailties, he said: “I thought we could have been tidier defensively. We seemed to get people coming out of the system and coming up with one-on-one misses.

“It’s all about learning, though. It doesn’t have to be positive to learn – people can learn from negative experiences, and in this game there’s lots to learn from.”

Asked if he was concerned about the fact his side have scored just one try in the two outings, Ford said: “No. We played with one half-back (Pat Smith) and Jack Iley at hooker, who’s not a recognised hooker as yet.

“We played some nice football at times and when you bring the likes of Kriss Brining, Harry Carter and Jonny Presley back into the equation I would expect the decision-making and creativity to improve.

“What is it, two months before our league season starts? We’ve played two outstanding teams so far and in patches we’ve done okay.

“It’s a case of keeping going, keeping progressing and making those patches much bigger ahead of the season’s start.”

Of the 22 players on show for York, youngsters Liam Richmond, Stephen Batty, Jordan Potter, Scott Talbot, James Glover and Brad Nicholson have yet to play first-grade rugby league, and another academy product, Adam Dent, has only two competitive appearances to his name.

New recruits Corey Hanson and Liam Cunningham also made their Knights bows.

Said Ford: “We fielded a big squad including some players who have never played at this level.

“It’s a big step up for some of the players. It’s a steep learning curve but if they keep focusing and progressing, you never know where they can go.

“I thought Liam Richmond carried the ball really well for someone his age, and Stephen Batty looked lively out of dummy-half in his short stint. Jordan Potter brought energy and enthusiasm to the group.

“These lads could be there or thereabouts sooner rather than later if they keep giving that kind of commitment.”