iPro Sport Cup semi-final report and player ratings: York City Knights 58 Gloucestershire All Golds 14

James Ford’s men, unbeaten against League One opposition all year, had been big favourites for this iPro Sport Cup semi-final against the expansion club but did not have things all their own way in the first half, needing to be sparked into action after the visitors had briefly threatened.

Three tries in seven minutes leading up to the interval gave them much-needed breathing space, though, and they progressively took the game away from the All Golds in the second half, ultimately winning by the kind of comfortable margin that had been expected.

It should have been more, too, but Danny Nicklas, who was otherwise excellent, did not have his shooting boots on - some of the biggest cheers of the day being reserved for his five successful conversions from 12 attempts.

Ford’s troops will now face Keighley Cougars in the final at the Championship Summer Bash in Blackpool on May 28, seeking York’s first piece of silverware since the 2010 Championship One play-off trophy – and, believe it or not, their first knockout cup triumph since the 1936 Yorkshire Cup.

The Knights had been forced into two changes from the side that saw off South Wales at a canter in League One last week, with full-back Richard Wilkinson and second-row Josh Tonks out injured.

Ford made four more changes, omitting Brad Hey, Pat Smith, Jack Anderson and, surprisingly, Ben Dent.

Three-quarter James Morland, half-back Jonny Presley, second-row Ed Smith and prop Russ Spiers were back after rests, as was fit-again Ryan Mallinder, a straight swap for Tonks.

Second-row Jordan Crowther continued at centre, where he had finished last week.

Brett Turner, meanwhile, was given another chance to impress at full-back, his previous goes there having only been fleeting.

It all meant Ford went with three props and a hooker on the bench, with no obvious cover out wide in case of injury or poor form.

Dent’s omission also meant there was no obvious swap for Turner, other than veteran winger Austin Buchanan – putting extra pressure on the former West Hull amateur ace to perform in his first outing for a month.

What pressure? He finished with two more tries, to take his tally to seven in six games, and sparkled with some long runs - having started things off by setting up the early opener.

All Golds’ much-travelled back-rower Lamont Bryan was caught sleeping at the kick off, letting it bounce out of play and immediately giving York an attacking set. Turner joined the line superbly to take Danny Nicklas’ pass, with Tyler Craig finishing well, the try coming just 77 seconds in.

Five minutes later, Presley was the creator with a scything run before giving Smith the scoring pass.

However, any thoughts of a romp had to be shelved.

All Golds had one chance, winger Chris Barlow being tackled just short by Turner, before scoring the next – a sweeping move left to right which sucked Buchanan in off his wing and ended with Barlow diving in.

Courtney Davies, who has an excellent all-round kicking game, converted from the sideline.

Then they were level, centre Lewis Reece with a superb break and offload on the run to Phil Cowburn to finish.

Too many missed tackles for Ford’s liking.

All Golds then forced a dropout, and another try was on, only second-row Bryan’s intended cut-out pass to Barlow was misread by centre Josh Allison, who knocked on.

York, having been plagued by error and lethargy for 20 minutes, were shocked into action – and how.

Pacier play at last ended with left-centre Craig smartly cutting inside for his second fine try.

Then Turner did likewise in the same spot.

Buchanan was a foil on the outside both times.

Then a wonderful looping pass from Presley on the other flank left the defence stranded and found winger Morland on the run down the touchline.

It was three tries in seven minutes – although Nicklas’s misses left it at 22-10 at the interval.

York’s contacts were still not as fierce as previously this season, crunching Smith tackles aside, allowing All Golds yardage.

But they extended their lead after the resumption thanks to Spiers.

His offload put Harry Carter through, only for the hooker to inexplicably keep hold with men either side of the last defender. Spiers saved his blushes by taking the first pass from the play-the-ball and blasting over.

Nicklas then combined superbly with Presley, their passes being perfectly timed to give Buchanan his chance to score. Carter had made amends too, with a good run from dummy-half.

This all left Gloucestershire needing four converted tries to win.

They got one, captain Steve Parry digging in from acting-half. However, York got five.

Presley set up Crowther to score and then took Morland’s excellent inside pass around his head to touch down, Nicklas twice dummied through, for tries by himself and Mallinder, and Turner completed the late romp after another fine run and inside pass by Morland.

MATCH FACTS

Knights 58 All Golds 14

Knights: Turner 8, Morland 8, Crowther 6, Craig 8, Buchanan 7, Presley 9, Nicklas 8, Waller 7, Carter 7, Aldous 6, Mallinder 6, E Smith 7, Emmett 7. Subs (all used): Brining 6, Applegarth 7, Spiers 8, Osbourne 6.

Tries: Craig 2, 30; E Smith 7; Turner 33, 80; Morland 37; Spiers 51; Buchanan 55; Crowther 65; Presley 69; Nicklas 72; Mallinder 75.

Conversions: Nicklas 7, 51, 69, 75, 80.

All Golds: Leather, Barlow, Allison, Reece, Cowburn, Newton, Davies, Purslow, Parry, Evans, McClean, Bryan, Whittel. Subs (all used): Tagayuna, Kislingbury, Kidd, Walter.

Tries: Barlow 13; Cowburn 19; Parry 59.

Conversion: Davies 13.

Man of the match: Jonny Presley – had a hand in several tries, scored a cracker himself and generally run the game with some aplomb alongside half-back partner Danny Nicklas.

Referee: Scott Mikalauskas (Leigh) – good.

Penalty count: 9-3

Weather: parky and drizzly for a bit.

Half-time: 22-10

Attendance: 469

Moment of the match: James Morland skipped down the wing then fired a pass inside to Jonny Presley. He took the ball around his head while on the run and transferred it smartly to touch down a fine try and cap a superb individual performance.

Gaffe of the match: Harry Carter will know better than anyone that he got things wrong when he failed to pass to men on either side when faced with the last defender. His blushes were spared, though, when Russ Spiers scored on the next play.

Gamebreaker: Danny Nicklas’ four missed conversions from five in the first half helped to keep the All Golds in the game, 12 points behind at the break. But Russ Spiers’ try and Nicklas’ goal 11 minutes into the second half, followed quickly by Austin Buchanan’s try, left the visitors needing four converted scores to win. York’s late romp of five tries in the last 15 minutes merely put icing on cakes.

Match rating: it looked like it would be a romp early on, then it looked like it might be close. Then York took control and, ultimately, it was a romp.