YORK City Knights overcame early concerns to keep their promotion tilt on track on their first-ever visit to Coventry's Butts Park.

They had travelled with another much-changed line-up, James Ford again rotating his squad against an expansion club, and this time returned home with a 38-10 victory following a fourth straight win.

It wasn't the best performance, Ford bemoaning a lack of intensity while new combinations didn't quite fire, but with Keighley losing their top-of-the-table clash at Oldham, it saw the Knights go second in League One above the Cougars on points difference.

They remain four points behind the Roughyeds – who now look nailed on for top spot – but with a game in hand.

Ford's team selection could have been seen as risky away to a potentially dangerous, unorthodox outfit, resting Press Player of the Year leader Greg Minikin, captain James Haynes and, initially, player/assistant-coach Mark Applegarth.

Any concern among fans, if not coaching staff, was augmented when hooker Kriss Brining – the type of player who can bag tries out of nothing, as shown by his consecutive hat-tricks – was left at home after picking up the same illness that laid Ben Dent low during the week.

In his place came Casey Canterbury, who hadn't played for two months, while Adam Dent took his brother's wing berth in his first outing since the Challenge Cup tie at St Helens in May.

Colton Roche, like Brining a game-changer off the bench, was also a late withdrawal due to a shoulder knock in training, meaning Ford had little option but to reinstate fellow prop Applegarth – not only for his ability up front but also his experience, something which could have been important had the game become dodgy.

That certainly looked possible early on, with Jordan Howden – back in after his rest in an unfamiliar role of full-back with Haynes and Ben Dent absent – needing to clean up a couple of kicks.

York also needed Applegarth to scrag back Jack Morrison after the former Swinton prop broke through close to the line.

With Coventry giving as good as they got and maybe sniffing a shock, it took 15 minutes for York to put an attack together of note, excellent hands down the right and nifty work inside seeing Applegarth and Jonny Presley go close before Dent's brilliant work under a Pat Smith kick led to a Bears knock-on.

Further pressure came to nothing, however, as the new partnerships on the edges were a little off-kilter.

Could they have done with Brining coming on and getting a trademark try from dummy-half to settle nerves?

As it turned out, they didn't, as they broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, Josh Tonks bursting through superbly, Howden adding his first of three conversions.

It followed a hold-up due to injury to Richie Hughes, who got rattled tackling Brad Nicholson, who, alongside Micky Learmonth, made a notable entrance off the bench.

Howden then showed why Ford had every confidence in playing him at full-back when he accelerated through a gap. Liam Cunningham, back at centre where he started the season so well, made a smart run onto Howden's inside and raced home.

Any concerns among the decent travelling faithful were further alleviated when Nicholson scored on the back of Presley's superb run and Pat Smith's awareness.

However, the Bears showed they couldn't be forgotten with a smart attack, York needing Pat Smith to cover well and knock the ball dead.

Smith was not quite so smart a minute later when dropping a kick in-goal – but York held out, as they did on the half-time hooter when Tonks won a foot-race to boot the ball behind.

The hosts also threatened immediately after the resumption but York broke out of defence and, after pulling Coventry around, upped their lead as Pat Smith zipped in.

Adam Dent successfully took over goal-kicking duties, as well as the full-back berth, with Howden soon to depart due to a hip complaint.

Ed Smith, the new Player of the Month for July, signed off before his one-match ban with a sixth try in seven matches, a gap opening for him as the ball was spread along the line.

Dent missed the touchline goal but soon saved points at the other end as he and Cunningham held up Dylan Bale.

Then Harry Carter kicked a 40-20 – his first of the season? – and 'did a Brining', somehow wriggling over the line, with Dent goaling.

However, York's hopes of securing a second successive clean sheet ended in bizarre fashion ten minutes from time as the game got scrappy.

Cunningham curiously put the ball down after escaping his in-goal area and, with players seemingly awaiting the referee's whistle, Bears scrum-half Joel James picked it up and put it over the whitewash.

Dan Parker missed the easy conversion but soon scored from acting-half and added the goal, before Ryan Mallinder struck back with a simple finish.

 

MATCH FACTS

Coventry: Bass, Holton, Phillips, Taylor, Dixon, Price, James, J Morrison, Hughes, Unsworth, Cooper, Barratt, Parker. Subs (all used): Hack, Thompson, Bale, Evans.

Tries: James 70; Parker 75.

Conversions: Parker 75.

Knights: Howden 7, N Morrison 7, Cunningham 6, Craig 5, A Dent 6, Presley 7, P Smith 6, Applegarth 5, Carter 6, Aldous 7, Tonks 7, E Smith 6, Mallinder 6. Subs (all used): Canterbury 6, Hey 6, Nicholson 8, Learmonth 7.

Tries: Tonks 21, Cunningham 25, Nicholson 32; P Smith 45, E Smith 55; Carter 65; Mallinder 80.

Conversions: Howden 21, 25, 32; A Dent 45, 65.

 

Man of the match: Brad Nicholson – caught the eye with a good impact off the bench, including forceful charges upfield and a try which made it 18-0 and helped to settle nerves.

Referee: Jon Roberts (Leeds) – not bad.

Penalty count: 5-5

Half-time: 18-0

Weather: rather warm.

Attendance: 442

Moment of the match: Brad Nicholson’s try was a classic courtesy of Jonny Presley magic. Jack Aldous’ quick feet and sharp pass had Presley eyeing a small gap and bursting through before changing direction a couple of times and slipping the ball to Pat Smith, who in turn timed his pass perfectly to send Nicholson to the posts.

Gaffe of the match: Coventry’s first try was just bizarre. Liam Cunningham seemed to have escaped his in-goal area when he put the ball down the right side of the whitewash - only to leave it there. He later claimed interference as he went to play the ball. With all of York’s team looking at the referee, Joel James simply picked up the ball and placed it the other side of the whitewash.

Gamebreaker: York were big favourites, despite their altered line-up, but Coventry were giving as good as they got for the opening quarter and nerves, at least among travelling supporters, were growing until three tries in 11 minutes set the Knights on their way.

Match rating: it was hardly York's best display but it was decent entertainment until things got scrappy late on as the teams tired in the heat with the game decided. Coventry might have killed the flow a few times when going down injured but they otherwise played the game a decent way, making for patches of open rugby and none of the nonsense that blighted York’s big win at South Wales last week.