YORK City Knights may have been favourites at Oxford but this was never likely to be one of those straightforward encounters against an expansion club.

And, in a far from straightforward finale, featuring a freak try, freak yellow card and freak drop goal, they were beaten 35-28, having led 28-18 at half-time.

There is mitigation. The Knights were heavily-depleted, to such an extent veteran loose-forward Tim Spears played through a calf problem and three-quarter Nev Morrison was picked as an emergency interchange forward – only to be used at centre after another injury to James Haynes.

Oxford, buoyed by netting a League One Cup semi-final berth for the first time, also knew how to play on their soul-less 4G pitch with small in-goal areas, and, of course, they are a club who have shocked the Knights in the past, beating Gary Thornton’s old team at Huntington Stadium in their early 2014 days.

But, all that said, this was another game the Knights lost, rather than one the opposition won, and it leaves them still with only one scrappy League One win from four outings.

It was also the second successive match, following the North Wales reverse, where they had thrown away a decent lead, feeding the opposition’s enthusiasm with errors and unable to dig in when it mattered.

Head coach James Ford had hoped his side would be refreshed after their blank weekend but instead their selection issues got worse the longer the week went on.

Former captain Pat Smith (ribs), winger Dee Foggin-Johnston (thumb), second-row Liam Thompson (groin) and star hooker Andy Ellis (unavailable) were already out, while leading lights Ash Robson (quad) and Andy Robinson (hamstring) failed fitness tests, and were joined on Thursday night’s treatment table by Joe Batchelor (ankle).

Then Joe Porter was a late withdrawal through illness.

Ford at least had centre Nick Rawsthorne making his debut on loan from Hull, one of four changes to the side that lost to North Wales, with Tommy Brierley recalled to the wing, fit-again Brad Hey back in the second row, and dual-reg hooker Will Jubb taking Ellis’ place. All bar Brierley scored tries – but that is just an aside.

Oxford had four former Knights in their 17. Centres Kane Riley and Curtis Macdonald and hooker Casey Canterbury didn’t enjoy great spells at York, though loose-forward Jordan Crowther impressed on loan from Wakefield.

Replacement packman Jordan Siddons, meanwhile, went up against his brother in the York ranks, Chris, while the Blues are coached by former Heworth ARLC boss Tim Rumford.

Macdonald didn’t have a great game here either, while Canterbury limped off in the last quarter – but their team did have the last laugh, with the younger Siddons scoring the 77th-minute try that sealed victory.

Such a result did not look likely as the Knights went 6-0 up after only 25 seconds and 10-0 up inside seven minutes.

In the second tackle of the match, Harry Carter’s scoot from dummy-half quickly turned into a superb 80-metre individual try, as he broke the line, evaded the full back and beat the chasers. Harry Tyson-Wilson added the first of four conversions.

Rawsthorne also scored a solo try with his first touch – receiving the ball from a scrum, arcing around his man and sprinting home.

But York were given quick warning things would not continue so easily as Oxford, after penalties gifted them territory, spread the ball right where former Featherstone academy winger Jordan Gill crossed.

They then counter-attacked to take the lead.

Jonny Presley saw the gap at one end but Ronan Dixon didn’t and dropped the pass, with the Blues making great ground on the free play.

The defence had time to re-set but still got stretched, and on-loan Wakefield full back Max Jowitt got through for a try and added his second of five conversions.

The next time Presley saw a gap, he went himself, dummying and darting to the whitewash, as York regained command.

Then, after Oxford again turned possession over near half-way, York went two scores ahead again. Tyson-Wilson’s low kick bounced high and Hey juggled and touched down.

Still, the hosts would not go away. With York full back Liam Harris being treated at one end, Callum Windley chipped the line at the other and, with neither Knights winger in good position to cover, the long-striding Gill caught the ball on the full and ran home.

York still made it 28-18 at the break as Harry Tyson-Wilson jinked close and replacement hooker Jubb drove over.

Oxford’s comeback began ten minutes into the second half. Two penalties, both conceded by Chris Siddons, invited pressure, and Oxford spread the ball left where sub Marcus Brooker crossed.

On York’s first real attack of the half, thanks to an Oxford knock-on, Carter, Spears and Kieran Moran were all held up over the line and Presley likewise went close, but the Blues’ goalline defence stood firm.

Furthermore, York – clearly missing rampaging prop Robinson - otherwise struggled to get into the red area, amber warning signs beginning to flash.

The hosts so nearly equalised after a Windley 40-20 as prop Stu Biscomb blasted to the line but fumbled when reaching over it.

But then they did level things up – in freakish fashion – with 14 minutes left.

Jowitt miscued his penalty to touch to such an extent the pacy Gill had time to get under it and beat Morrison to the catch before streaking away and evading the cover for his hat-trick.

Oxford had six penalties to York’s one in the second half, plus six cheap turnovers, and those piggy-backs proved costly.

The sixth penalty also brought a freak yellow card for Ed Smith, leaving the Knights a man down for the last ten minutes.

He and Jowitt leapt arms outstretched underneath a kick, only Jowitt’s arms took the ball and Smith’s took Jowitt out, the full back needing several minutes of treatment.

Then, after Tyson-Wilson fluffed a 40-metre drop-goal attempt at one end, Oxford broke again with the referee playing on despite a York injury in back play.

After an exchange of passes, half-back Windley landed a one-pointer from 30.

York still had time but it was Jordan Siddons who had the last laugh.