VICTORY at Whitehaven tomorrow will not make up for York City Knights’ gut-wrenching play-off semi-final defeat last season – but it would be a welcome confidence boost for a team already riding high.

That’s the opinion of prop forward Adam Robinson, who was part of the York team that lost that epic clash at the Rec last September when Haven half-back Steve Roper kicked a match-winning drop goal after a world record 26 minutes of golden-point extra time.

The Knights go into this weekend’s rematch sitting top of Betfred League One on points-difference following a huge 90-0 win against minnows Hemel Stags – a ninth consecutive league win.

But 31-year-old Robinson, who is in his second season with the club, insists they are not looking at where their impressive form could take them by the end of term, focusing instead on getting each performance right.

“We haven’t set any long-term goals,” he said. “Our philosophy is we take it week by week and never look too far ahead.

“We do what we need to on the field and see where it takes us. It’s a bit of a cliché, but we’re just going one week at a time.

“Since the opening day defeat to Bradford, it (the season) has been pretty perfect.

“Our main advantage is that we had a tough start to the season – playing against all the top teams – but we ground out the wins and we just need to keep the momentum going.

“Whitehaven and Workington (York’s next opponents, on June 10) are two quality outfits, teams we highly respect and think will be up there at the end of the season.

“After these, we’ll have played everybody (in the division) and have a good idea of where we’re at.”

Cumbria, however, has not been a happy hunting ground for the Knights.

Since being re-formed in 2003, they are yet to win in four trips to Whitehaven, and in Cumbria as a whole they have notched only four wins in 20 visits since 2005, three coming at Worky in 2008 and 2009 and one at amateurs Askam earlier this year.

Haven also won all three matches against York last season, home and away, and have triumphed in four of the clubs’ five league meetings since 2003.

York’s sole victory came at Huntington Stadium in 2006, although they also won Northern Rail Cup and Challenge Cup ties at home in 2009 and 2014 respectively.

The most painful of the defeats was by far that last visit in the rain and mud.

Ash Robson had touched down in the closing stages of normal time to level a gruelling tie at 20-20, but Roper’s 106th-minute one-pointer ended the Knights’ promotion dreams.

Robinson said: “Since I’ve been here we’ve always struggled up there (in Cumbria) – but records are there to be broken. Obviously last year we also had Barrow who were a phenomenal team.

“Whitehaven ended our season last year in that record-breaking game, so we’ll keep that close to our chest and use it for momentum.

“It’s not something you forget easily. Everyone remembers the bus journey home and how bad it felt.

“A win there won’t correct that but it will give us satisfaction, as well as confidence if we do need to go there again later on this season.”