YORK City Knights boss James Ford struggled to contain his pride after watching his 15 “heroes” give runaway League One leaders Toulouse Olympique a run for their money before ultimately losing their first Super 8s fixture.

The Knights, two men down for the entire match having travelled with only 15 players, picked up further injuries during the 80 minutes but battled on courageously before finally falling 46-16 to the unbeaten full-time French outfit.

They had led 10-0 and denied the free-scoring hosts a point until 28 minutes in, when the lack of interchanges began to take its toll.

Their efforts in such well-documented off-field adversity even earned a guard of honour from the home team as the players left the field.

Said Ford: “They were all heroes. It was courage personified.

“You don’t want to single out anybody but look at Ed Smith, Matty Dale, Mike Emmett – who’s as tough as they come. Jack Aldous did 80 minutes in, what, 35 degrees and still won 60 per cent of his contacts and wrestles. The kid is just a machine. That’s why he’s our captain.

“It’s tenaciousness personified and he’s willing to sacrifice himself for the team. You don’t get that in every rugby league player but we’ve got a lot of boys like that. We’ve got good people in this team.

“When your backs go against the wall like ours have been in this outrageous situation and they stick together and come out fighting – I can’t be any more proud of them.”

The players had been told nine days earlier the club was to be wound up and they were to be made free agents, but they stuck together in the hope a solution to the off-field troubles could be found. Since then, confirmation has come through that they will finish the season as a takeover bid continues, but they still had to travel light.

“Off the field that’s nothing to do with me,” said Ford. “I’m not sure what’s happening. I have to manage these boys and get the best out of them. But if they turn up for me and show that endeavour and desire for me and for each other, then I will work damn hard for them.

“I will let them know how brave they were, then we’ll prepare for Barrow (next Saturday). We owe them one, don’t we (after defeat in the regular season).

“I have to speak about how the players did not win the game, but I want to make it perfectly clear their efforts were heroic.”

Tries by Mike Emmett and Harry Carter put York 10-0 up against the odds before Toulouse struck back with four tries in nine decisive minutes before half-time. York still got further reward after half-time with a Jonny Presley try set up by Matty Dale’s superb offload, after a commendable spell of pressure.

“Toulouse maybe stepped up a gear and we maybe over-complicated things a little bit,” said Ford.

“When you’re down to the bare bones you generally have to keep things as simple as you can. Toulouse are an outstanding team and they punished us on the back of a few errors and we struggled to get momentum back.

“We spoke about what to do to stop momentum staying against us, and the boys were just amazing.

“Their efforts, their endeavours to keep going and keep fighting for each other was incredible. I don’t know where they find it from.

“Toulouse have players who played in the NRL.

“We picked up further knocks – Adam Dent’s eye-socket needs looking at, Rich Wilkinson’s arm, James Morland took a knock, Matty Dale took a knock. I’m talking about tough blokes here. I expect them to train on Tuesday, prepare well and put on another performance like that against Barrow.”

Asked of the promotion hopes going forward, Ford added: “This club have a bunch of players who never quit. They will do their best in the Super 8s.”