JAMES Ford was quick to praise the York City Knights fans for their “fantastic” support in the south of France this weekend – and apologised for not rewarding them with a shock victory.

The Knights lost 44-6 to big promotion favourites Toulouse Olympique, having been unable to keep pace with the unbeaten Kingstone Press League One leaders in the second half of this top-of-the-table clash.

The result saw the full-time French outfit go further clear at the summit a week before the regular season ends, and left the Knights facing a repeat journey to Stade Ernest Argeles in the Super 8s that are to follow.

But head coach Ford stressed the defeat was not through lack of effort from his players – or the supporters, a few dozen having made the trip, including a group of York City cross-code fans with a “Pitchside Happy Wanderers” Union Flag.

“I’d like to thank the York supporters – they were superb again,” he said.

“I understand how difficult it is to follow a team to another country but they did that and they got behind the boys and were absolutely fantastic as usual.

“Unfortunately we could not win the game for them, but it was not through a lack of effort from the players.”

The Knights had arguably been the better team in the first period but could only break through once, via a Kriss Brining special. Toulouse, having earlier taken the lead, retook it again on half-time and then went clear in the second stanza.

Said Ford: “We came up against a very good team.

“In the second half they got on the front foot and we struggled to deal with them across the field.

“They’re probably the best team we’ve played and they wouldn’t look out of place in the Championship.

“I was really happy with the first half. I thought we were the better team by some distance.

“Defensively we were really aggressive, and we made three or four line breaks and made a number of chances on the edges but just did not take them.

“When you play a team of Toulouse’s class, you have to be the best version of yourself and you have to take your chances, be really good in discipline and defensively outstanding.

“We were for parts of the game.

“It would not have been unfair for us to have been 20 points up at half-time.

“But in the second half they got on the front foot and they looked pretty good, they looked classy to be fair.”

Ford found it difficult to fault his own side, who have lost only one other match in the regular season, away to bogey side Barrow. Toulouse’s own press team also rated the Knights the best outfit Olympique had hosted in the league this year.

“Across the board everyone contributed something but obviously not quite enough,” Ford said of his players.

“Week on week they turn up and play to a very good level and their effort is always outstanding and their character is always outstanding, and their skills are pretty good.

“We made a few errors offensively and defensively but I will put that down to the pressure Toulouse put on us and their speed of play. We’re not usually as sloppy as that, but we will come back from it.

“We did fancy our chances in one or two areas and some opportunities did arise from that but we just weren’t good enough to take those opportunities.”