York City Knights 28 Workington Town 18

Knights: Harris 8, Dent 7, Haynes 6, Hey 7, Morrison 7, C Robinson 8, H Tyson-Wilson 6, Siddons 6, Ellis 8, Moran 8, Cox 7, Batchelor 7, Spears 8. Subs (all used): Jubb 8, Osborne 8, Porter 8, A Robinson 7.

Tries: Ellis 9, 23; Cox 30; Morrison 47; C Robinson 65.

Conversions: C Robinson (3/5) 9, 23, 65.

Penalty: C Robinson (1/1) 39.

Workington: Ritson, Hambley, Rasool, Mossop, Lister, Forber, Doran, Curwen, Howarth, Scholey, Davies, B Phillips, Singleton. Subs (all used): C Phillips, Fitzsimmons, Moore, Prior.

Tries: Lister 14; Davies 42; Hambley 67.

Conversions: Forber (3/3) 14, 42, 67.

Man of the match: Connor Robinson – after HTW went off injured, the stand-off played over an hour as the Knights’ sole half-back and did the job wonderfully well, aided by Liam Harris’ interjections from full-back and Andy Ellis’ control from hooker.

Referee: Nick Bennett (Dewsbury) – struggled a bit with several curious calls and his own ideas of laying on, 10 metres and high tackles.

Penalty count: 5-7

Half-time: 18-6.

Weather: warm

Attendance: 1,112

Moment of the match: Ross Osborne’s first hit-up after coming on for his Knights bow, when he steamrollered defenders on a 35-metre run, was eye-opening, but Nev Morrison’s try, created by off-loads out of nowhere from Jordan Cox and James Haynes, was the pick.

Gaffe of the match: Former Warrington forward Jordan Cox went on to score one and make two on an encouraging Knights debut, but dropping a simple pass 14 minutes in saw Workington hack forward and win the race to the try-line for an equaliser.

Gamebreaker: York, 22-12 up, were on the rack for a while in the second period, facing four consecutive sets on their goal-line amid it all, but, when a Workington try could have turned the game the visitors’ way, the defence held out. Connor Robinson’s 65th-minute interception try then made things more safe at 28-12.

Match rating: this was a good contest in front of another healthy crowd, with a much-changed York team overcoming a much-improved Workington outfit compared to the one that were seen off 34-0 last month at the end of the regular season.