YORK City Knights Ladies are on cloud nine after winning a thrilling Challenge Shield final against Army Ladies in the most dramatic fashion.

Nat Carr’s try on the last play of the game, with the Knights down to 12 players, secured a famous 26-24 victory at Heworth at the end of a ding-dong clash in which the lead change hands no fewer than six times.

The success came just two hours before the Knights men shocked Toronto Wolfpack in stunning fashion at Bootham Crescent on a great day for the club.

It was also the ladies' ninth win of a super season so far, which sees them atop the Women's Merit League table. Their only defeat has been a narrow loss to Premier Division leaders Castleford in the Yorkshire Cup.

Carr’s Shield-clinching score was her second of the game. Paige Stevens also crossed twice, and player-of-the-match Katie Langan once. Sam Boyes added two goals and Kay Rollinson one.

Ashleigh Hyde had a try disallowed for York for a forward pass in the opening minutes, but it was the Army Ladies – competing in their first-ever final – who opened the scoring. A kick in-goal area ricocheted off two York players before Georgina Cant pounced on the loose ball.

The Knights hit back immediately, after Rollinson’s restart was fumbled - Stevens powering her way over on the left edge.

York soaked up some intense pressure on their own goal line before going the length of the field in their next set to score -scrum-half Langan touching down under the posts, Rollinson converting.

Sarah Ashton drew the Army level on the half-hour, finishing off a neat move that was started by a break from Beth Lloyd.

A finely balanced match remained deadlocked until the break, but York retook the lead straight after the restart.

Carr forced her opposing winger into touch and Stevens went over straight from the resulting scrum. Boyes added the extras for a 16-10 lead.

However, the Army looked threatening with ball in hand, and a succession of penalties gave them the platform to hit back again. Full-back Matilda Butler went over from close-range, although there appeared to be a knock-on in the build-up.

The decision to allow the try was compounded further when Ella Donnelly danced her way through to put the Army four points ahead.

With only 15 minutes left, Stevens executed a one-on-one ball steal 20-metres from the Army line. The ball was moved wide right for Carr to score her first try, Boyes’ conversion edging York back in front.

Carr might have won it with eight minutes to play had she not fumbled the ball inches away from grounding it over the try line.

But York then seemed set to lose the game after Stevens was sin-binned for a blatant hair pull with the Army in a great position to score.

They soon took full advantage of their numerical superiority – Butler using every inch of her frame to reach out for her second try of the game.

Ashton’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful, meaning the Army now led 24-22 with three minutes left.

However, the Knights have shown all season they can dig deep and they displayed their resilience once again as, despite being down to 12 players, Carr scored her second try.

Boyes shaped to move the ball inside before shipping it out wide for the winger to score.