YORK City Knights had previously won eight games in nine at Park Lane including seven in seven against Swinton.

However, five years since their last visit, that happy run of fortune against the Lions ended with a 34-24 defeat – after they had three tries controversially disallowed.

They still notched five to Swinton’s six, so the game was closer than the ten-point margin suggests.

However, two came at the death with the contest over, and the result ultimately continued York’s 2015 record of beating underdogs but losing to teams tipped to vie for promotion.

If such form continues, they will be touch and go to scrape into the top-five play-offs.

Boss James Ford, though, remains adamant his comparatively young team have improvement in them over the ensuing months.

They also have a player in Greg Minikin who gave the kind of performance that might make Ford’s coaching job easier. Tactic number one: just pass the ball to Greg.

The 20-year-old still needs to learn from the likes of veteran Swinton centre Stuart Littler, whose mix of strength, strong running and nous brought him a hat-trick as the Lions’ right channel proved the difference on the day.

But if he continues his current trajectory - which on this occasion saw Swinton boss John Duffy haul off old stager Mick Nanyn after he was given the runaround – odds are he will follow Littler in having a long career in Super League.

Minikin scored one try and made three, but it was Swinton who had the edge, helped by referee Mike Woodhead’s key decisions and, more so, by their strength and experience across the field - including the likes of former Super League forwards Matt Gardner and Jordan James - which saw them regain momentum at key times.

That pack’s dominance in recent weeks was one reason Ford took the opportunity to draft in James Clare from Castleford – the first dual-reg arrival of the season.

Clare played in his usual wing berth – replacing youngster Adam Dent - but was also asked to put his full-time conditioning to good use with additional work inside, to keep the Lions pack on their toes.

York had two other debutants on the bench, in hooker Casey Canterbury, in for the crocked Kriss Brining, and Lee Waterman. Both did okay, but Brining was a big miss, not least for his ability to dig over the try-line in a tight contest.

The strapping Liam Cunningham passed a fitness test and was chosen ahead of Tyler Craig in the centres, while Colton Roche was another welcome return to offer punch off the bench, making it five changes in all to the team that beat Coventry.

But while Ryan Mallinder was unavailable, Ford may have regretted omitting Jack Pickles when on-loan Micky Learmonth, at loose-forward, was helped off inside nine minutes with a bad ankle injury.

With Roche and Brad Nicholson the only forwards on the bench, it meant extra work for the pack. The former smashed through the line a few times but it was Jack Aldous who led the way, with one of his 80-minute performances against bigger men.

A minute after Learmonth’s departure, Littler gave Swinton the lead after a smart move down the right instigated by in-form full-back Chris Atkin, who added the first of five conversions.

York twice thought they had equalised – but Cunningham was inexplicably deemed by a touch judge to have been held up, and, in the next play, Jonny Presley touched down a Pat Smith kick only for the other linesman to deem it over the dead-ball line.

Swinton too should have scored but Shaun Robinson lost the ball at the whitewash after Littler’s cute pass.

They wouldn’t miss the next chance as Nev Morrison fumbled a bobbling kick at his own line. Following the scrum, Atkin crossed.

York hit back after a fabulous offload by Nicholson saw Clare make ground.

Presley’s pass to Ed Smith wasn’t great but the second-row stabbed it in-goal and ran onto it, Waterman converting.

They had a great chance to level, too, as Minikin broke through but he backed himself to beat last man Atkin rather than look to support, and had the ball knocked from his grasp.

The first attack of the second half reaped reward. Full-back Ben Dent joined the line well, and Minikin skipped past Nanyn to score.

However, penalties gave Swinton a way back – and they grabbed momentum with three tries in six minutes.

Littler got the first two – his hat-trick try being courtesy of either a forward pass or an unfortunate York hand sending the ball loose – and then a good run and kick by Andy Ackers saw the ball bounce favourably for Ben White to get the third.

Presley had a second try ruled out – Woodhead decided he was held short – but, after Minikin again backed himself and went close, Clare drove over to cut the deficit.

It was game over, though, when Ackers scored from dummy-half.

Minikin capped his man-of-the-match show by setting up two late tries which made the scoreline fairer.

His offload sent Cunningham home and his run down the right set the position for a Josh Tonks try down the left, Dent converting.

 

MATCH FACTS


Swinton: Atkin, Robinson, Littler, Nanyn, Hawkyard, White, Lloyd, M Morrison, Ackers, James, Barlow, Lever. Subs (all used): Govin, Austin, Gallagher, Dwyer.
Tries: Littler 10, 53, 57; Atkin 24; White 59; Ackers 68.
Conversions: Atkin 10, 24, 53, 57, 59.
Penalties: none.
Sent off: none.
Sin-binned: none.


Knights: B Dent 7, Clare 7, Minikin 9, Cunningham 7, N Morrison 6, Presley 6, P Smith 6, Applegarth 6, Carter 6, Aldous 8, Tonks 6, E Smith 6, Learmonth 6. Subs (all used): Canterbury 6, Nicholson 6, Roche 7, Waterman 6.
Tries: E Smith 33; Minikin 44; Clare 64; Cunningham 78; Tonks 80
Conversions: Waterman 33, B Dent 80.
Penalties: none.
Sent off: none.
Sin-binned: none.


Man of the match: Greg Minikin – the young centre ran ragged the veteran Mick Nanyn, who was eventually hauled off, and was a threat whenever he had the ball, scoring one try and setting up three more.


Referee: Mike Woodhead (St Helens) – only the video will show if the officials were correct to disallow first-half York tries by Liam Cunningham and Jonny Presley and another in the second half by Presley.
Penalty count: 3-7


Half-time: 12-6


Weather: changeable but generally pleasant, if initially slippy underfoot after morning rain.
Attendance: 444


Moment of the match: Brad Nicholson’s offload to James Clare in centre-field was risky but sublime and saw the dual-reg winger make great ground and set the field position for York’s first try, scored by Ed Smith.


Gaffe of the match: The ball was bobbling ominously but Nev Morrison should still have gathered it in on his own line. He didn’t and Swinton scored their second try from the scrum in the red zone.


Gamebreaker: York looked right back in it at the start of the second half, with Greg Minikin’s try making it 12-10, but the match suddenly turned as Swinton stormed forward with three tries in six minutes to kill the contest by the hour mark.


Match rating: A game of good standard which could feasibly have gone York’s way had they had more rub of the green but which was ultimately won by Swinton’s own quality and knowhow.