THERE was potential egg on the face for York City Knights head coach James Ford as his team of Probables took on a squad of Possibles at Clifton Park – but it all panned out well enough to leave only a smile on his mush.

His chosen team of first-teamers won at a canter 70-10, thereby generally justifying his selection, though he admitted members of the second string also gave him food for thought ahead of the season opener away to London Skolars in the League One Cup next Sunday.

This final outing of pre-season - split into three 25-minute periods - was an in-house contest, of course, a make-do affair after the club’s last friendly, at Castleford, was cancelled, and it was maybe not the preferred way to put finishing touches to pre-season preparations.

But it was still a very decent hit-out, marred only by a few injuries, the most serious being Ryan Mallinder's hamstring pull.

The entire squad – Probables and Possibles combined – had a good huddle at the end, too, suggesting team spirit is grand, despite the off-field troubles currently leaving the club homeless on the eve of the campaign.

On which note, among all the argument and counter-argument in the community stadium saga, the one thing that cannot be doubted is that these lads, like the fans, deserve better.

Arguably the most eye-catching performances came from Pete Aspinall, showing that rare mix of size and speed on the fringes, and Tyler Craig, whose pacy display on the left wing gives Ford a particular headache, with last season's top-scorer Ben Dent - who was dropped to Team 2 after a minor breach of club discipline - also vying for that spot.

In the middle, nippy, zippy half-backs Jonny Presley and Pat Smith gave strong hints that their partnership could well flourish, bagging five touchdowns between them in the 13-try romp. Presley fell out of favour with previous boss Gary Thornton but Ford seems set to put full confidence in him.

It was Pat's brother, Ed, who opened the scoring, following an early mistake by Dent which handed possession to the Probables in his own 20.

A smart move then brought a try under the sticks for Smith the elder, full-back James Haynes booting the first of his nine conversions, and the scrum-half soon got his second, sent in by Craig.

Corey Hanson had a couple of strong runs at centre for the Possibles but it was his missed tackle that allowed Nev Morrison to break through from half-way for the next score.

Hanson, Ben Dent and James Glover – whose kicking game from stand-off was decent throughout – had moments earlier tackled Morrison into touch, only for the Possibles to lose possession straight from their scrum.

Kriss Brining increased the lead at the start of the second period, finishing a super set move involving Josh Tonks and Pat Smith.

The Possibles then got on the scoreboard after a neat kick by busy half-back Stephen Batty forced a dropout – Hanson powering his way over, with Glover converting.

A neat move brought a try by opposing stand-off Presley at the other end, but the Possibles replied again as Glover smartly sent in trialist Joe Ramsden to finish well.

Tonks had a good run home after Pat Smith had drawn in the defence and sent a long pass to the left, and Ed Smith crossed again on the back of a storming run by Pete Aspinall which showed off the new centre’s paces.

Adam Dent had pulled off a fine try-saver on Pat Smith just before the try.

Arguably the best try of the night followed as a superb flowing move down the right ended with Craig finishing it all off on the left.

The Possibles began the third period badly, allowing the kick off to bounce, with Harry Carter the grateful recipient of the loose ball for the Probables to bring up the half-century.

The first team then repelled a short spell of pressure and broke out for Craig to streak home, finishing with a showboat flourish as he dummied the last man.

Craig wasted another chance with an attempted dummy but it wasn’t long before the lead increased, Presley jinking in.

The same player completed the romp with a length-of-the-field breakaway try down the right touchline.

Probables: Haynes, Morrison, Aspinall, Cunningham, Craig, P Smith, Presley, Aldous, Carter, Roche, E Smith, Tonks, Mallinder. Subs: Minikin, Brining, Nicholson, Richmond.

Possibles: Riley, B Dent, Hanson, Wilkins, A Dent, Glover, Batty, Pickles, Iley, Joynt, Ramsden, Rice, Hinchcliffe. Subs: Potter, Leary, Mosey, Casey, Stewart, Tomlinson.