MARK APPLEGARTH wants the "horrible feeling" at the end of the iPro Sport Cup final to act as a major spur for York City Knights in their push for promotion.

The Knights are quickly back in League One action after Saturday's heart-wrenching showdown against Keighley as they host Coventry Bears in a rearranged clash at Bootham Crescent tomorrow night (7.30pm).

And, rather than be down in the dumps after the Cougars snatched silverware off them with a controversial try two minutes from time, veteran packman Applegarth is hoping the team will be extra determined to avoid such disappointment again in the main aim of term.

"It's hard to put into words," said York's player/assistant-coach after the 22-18 defeat. "It's a horrible feeling, especially when we'd just scored and there were two minutes to go.

"For them to go down the field, get that repeat set and that try, it was hard to take.

"I'm not sure he (try-scorer Charlie Martin) got the ball down but the referee's given it and Keighley got the result.

"It was a horrible feeling - I don't want to feel it again."

The Knights had not been at their best but still came within 120 seconds of snatching the trophy thanks to a battling fight-back and Ed Smith's stunning 75th-minute try - something Applegarth thinks is a positive for big games to come.

"That's what we said in the changing rooms," he said. "We didn't fire on all cylinders - give credit to Keighley for that as they punished us and kept making us defend.

"We weren't at our best and they capitalised on our mistakes. But, despite that, we were still so close, and that says a lot. If we play to our standards and continue to dig in like that, we can be confident going into other matches."

He added: "I thought we'd won it with Ed's try so it was a big sucker punch.

"Keighley played pretty well and we were under the pump a lot but we hung in there, so credit to the boys for that.

"You want to be playing in good, tight games, you expect it in a final, and we've come out on the wrong end of it. That's sport. We'll learn lessons and take positives.

"Our main aim is to get into the play-offs and we can use this as motivation to push for promotion."