TOM CARR got York City Knights out of jail with his last-gasp try in the Challenge Cup third round at Blackbrook, but he nearly became the villain yesterday – leaving boss Gary Thornton contemplating a felony of his own.

“If I had a gun I would’ve shot him,” joked Thornton, when asked about the full-back’s ill-judged long pass in front of his own posts, which came just when the Knights needed to stick the ball up their jumper and run the clock down.

The ball was duly spilled by Nat Browne and, although York scrambled it clear, visitors Dewsbury scored from the resulting scrum to clamber to within one score of victory with six minutes to go, a strong wind behind them and with nerves fraying at the end of a Knights encounter for the fourth outing in a row.

As it turned out, this one didn’t go down to the very last play like the past two, thanks to Jack Lee and his second super finish from dummy-half, with three minutes left, that eased the tension and sealed a 29-20 triumph – a fourth home win in five – for the men from Monks Cross.

The game also ended on a happy note for Carr as he kicked the contest’s last points and was named the sponsors’ man of the match – an accolade surely decided (and deserved) before his rush of blood.

“It’s entertainment,” quipped Thornton of the late anxiety which left him and York’s supporters with dicky hearts once again.

On that note, such drama really deserves bigger crowds than the three-figure attendances the Knights currently attract. Maybe the fact they are now up to sixth in the Kingstone Press Championship will help to bring stay-away supporters back.

This latest win was again built on solid match-play orchestrated by fit-again stand-off Simon Brown – such a key man for Thornton – and played out to near perfection (barring Carr’s blooper) throughout a second half in which the hosts were probable underdogs given they had a strong wind in their faces and only an 18-16 interval lead.

Everyone did their job to keep the Rams pinned back in their own half, restricting them to few chances and keeping them at arms length.

The first half had been different, York looking slightly more a threat in general play as the sides jockeyed for position, but paying for individual errors, two by Ed Smith and one by Luke Stenchion, which each led to Dewsbury tries.

Smith’s first knock-on came in the game’s first set, with the Rams getting on the scoreboard after 90 seconds as Adam O’Brien scooted home too easily, Bobbie Goulding goaling.

O’Brien had been one of nine changes in Dewsbury’s team from the 17 that saw off Myton in the cup. The Knights likewise had a much-changed line-up, with eight alterations in personnel, including debuts for on loan Nev Morrison and dual-reg incomer Liam Kent, and with Carr his busy, ever-involved self back at full-back.

The 21-year-old set up an early equaliser, his grubber down the left wing ending with Jack Latus touching down the loose ball.

Carr’s invention out of the back pocket also nearly brought a second try but ex-Knight Rob Spicer – who later hobbled off – tracked back to catch the ball in front of his own sticks. Nevertheless the Knights were soon ahead – thanks to the new-boys.

Kent’s superb cut-out pass saw Morrison finish well, cutting inside the cover so sharply it left big Karl Pryce trundling into the sandpit. Carr added the extras.

Smith’s second error was unfortunate, as his offload, albeit forced, ricocheted off an unwitting tackler and into Dewsbury hands, with the attack ending with Jamaine Akaidere somehow getting through a crowd of bodies.

Smith made some amends as he and Adam Sullivan gained York position when gathering loose balls from Brown kicks, with the deceptively strong Lee re-establishing the home lead with a try from dummy-half, Carr converting.

Stenchion’s knock-on at a play-the-ball in his own half set the position for Tommy Gallagher to crash over, Goulding equalising with the goal, but York had the half-time advantage thanks to Carr’s penalty, for a shoulder charge, on the hooter.

Browne increased the lead nine minutes into the second period when punishing Rams full-back Dale Morton for dallying in front of a superbly-placed Brown chip to the left wing.

The Rams thereafter never looked like overturning their six-point deficit, their young half-backs struggling to make the most of the wind – Goulding twice sending restarts sailing out.

Their best chances saw Lee – aided by intelligent positional defence by Carr and Browne to slow up the attackers – race back to halt O’Brien after Makali Aizue had smashed through, and Pryce drop a chip to the corner.

The gap was eked up to seven points by Brown’s smart drop goal – before the late heart flutters came and went thanks to Carr’s mistake, Greg Scott’s try and Lee’s timely riposte.


Match facts

Knights: Carr 7, Browne 7, Briscoe 7, Latus 7, Morrison 7, S Brown 8, Nicklas 8, Bell 7, Lee 8, Aldous 7, Kent 7, Smith 6, Potter 7. Subs (all used): Presley 7, Sullivan 8, Lyons 7, Stenchion 7.

Tries: Latus 5; Morrison 17; Lee 23, 77; Browne 49.

Conversions: Carr 17, 23, 77.

Penalty: Carr 40.

Drop goal: Brown 71

Dewsbury: Morton, Scott, Pryce, Hale, Akaidere, A Brown, Goulding, Lillycrop, O’Brien, Spiers, Walshaw, Hepworth, Spicer. Subs (all used): Tebb, Gallagher, Aizue, Cosgrove.

Tries: O’Brien 2; Akaidere 20; Gallagher 32; Scott 74.

Conversions: Goulding 2, 32.

Man of the match: Jack Lee – scored two tries from dummy-half which he had no right to, including the decisive late effort that calmed the nerves and sealed the win.

Referee: George Stokes (St Helens) – generally okay, although he failed to punish a flop on Jack Briscoe, which led to the young centre being helped off, and his touch judges missed a few forward passes.

Penalties: 4-2.

Half-time: 18-16.

Attendance: 705.

Weather: strong wind.

Moment of the match: it wasn’t the prettiest of tries but Jack Lee’s late score, fighting to get over the line and then get the ball down, sealed a victory which had been put in doubt by the gaffe of the match.

Gaffe of the match: just why Tom Carr threw that long pass to Nat Browne in front of his own sticks even Tom Carr probably doesn’t know. Browne couldn’t take it and, although York scrambled the ball clear, Dewsbury scored following the scrum to reduce the gap to three with six minutes left.

Gamebreaker: Jack Lee’s second try.

Match rating: another close, ultimately tense match at Huntington Stadium and another one in which the Knights came out on top.