A FEW York City Knights supporters bemoaned the notorious Monks Cross wind before kick-off yesterday, but they were blowing it a kiss at the end of play as it helped their side into the hat for today’s Tetley’s Challenge Cup fifth round draw – after yet another thrilling encounter.

The fourth round tie had swung this way and that, before visitors Toulouse, in a daring grand finale, scored a cracking try through Bastien Ader, getting on the end of a Mark Kheirallah chip to the corner to draw his side to within two points of taking the tie into extra time.

But the swirling wind, which so often affects Huntington Stadium, blowing across the big fields and through the open ends of the ground, proved too difficult for Kheirallah to contend with just when it mattered most.

The Aussie scrum-half had last week dropped a goal at Avignon, famous for its mistral wind, to send his side into the domestic play-off semi-finals, and he had booted four conversions from four yesterday, to go with the eight he scored in Toulouse’s big third round victory at Swinton.

But this vital last-minute effort was wide of the mark here, leaving the Knights 30-28 ahead – the difference being a wind-assisted penalty by Tom Carr at the other end five minutes from time.

The French outfit threw the ball about with abandon in the dying seconds, but the Knights scrambled this way and that to deny them another breakthrough, the final hooter being met with loud cheers from a diehard home support who by must now be getting used to this nerve-jangling stuff.

It was the fifth York game on the trot that had gone down to the wire, although on this occasion, unlike in the third round win over amateurs Blackbrook, the Knights should not be vilified for putting their supporters through the mill.

Instead, they should be lauded for a brave effort in adversity, a gutsy, thrilling win, and one which again deserved a far bigger attendance than that which showed up.

The Knights were already without their dual-reg starlets from Hull and the on-loan Nev Morrison, as well as the injured trio of Sam Scott and long-term crocks Jason Golden and Matt Nicholson, and they lost two more key men – Jack Lee and Simon Brown – during the first half.

Come the end and they were down to the bare 13 fit players as Nathan Freer and Ben Dent joined the injury list too – although in the case of the latter, not before he had courageously pulled off a superb tackle out wide, despite needing treatment on damaged ribs.

However, Gary Thornton’s men dug deep and came up trumps, finding heroes across the pitch.

James Ford’s contribution cannot be overlooked. As Thornton said, he gave a real captain’s knock, not only doing the right things at the right time, but doing a hell of a lot of it, so often taking the ball up, leading by example and dragging his troops through.

Adam Sullivan had another big impact, countering that of opposite number Eloni Vunakece – he of the big hair that put even Jonny Presley’s barnet to shame – whose brute strength brought two tries.

Tom Carr was his busy, confident self at the back, taking on even more play-making responsibility when Brown departed at half-time, while the back row of Aaron Lyons and Ed Smith began with socks rolled down and ended with them metaphorically worked off.

Craig Potter put in another big shift up top, and Austin Bell regularly ran the ball in strong and hard.

Presley was an important darting figure behind the grunt and sniff, while teenage hooker Kriss Brining, in for Lee, came to the fore with two solo tries at crucial moments that capped a bristling performance.

Lee had given York the lead, touching down Brown’s little kick, with Carr adding the first of four conversions, but York fluffed the restart and Toulouse showed what a good side they were when going 18-6 up with Vunakece’s close-range double sandwiching Kheirallah’s individual effort. The scrum-half had stripped Jack Latus one on one – a feat he later repeated – and darted home, away from a flat-footed defence.

Ex-Newton Jets half-back partners Kheirallah and Johno Ford, whose 40-20 set up the third try, at times showed why they were so highly-rated in France, posing a constant threat.

However, Carr somehow dug over from acting-half to narrow the gap to 18-12 at half-time, and York hit a purple patch in the third quarter, Brining zig-zagging home superbly from dummy-half, and Nat Browne touching down Carr’s brilliantly weighted kick.

Ader could not control another Carr kick and Browne was onto it like a flash, setting the position for Brining’s second score from dummy-half.

The Knights were turning the screw but Bell blotted his copybook with a fumble and Toulouse, having looked disgruntled, shaped themselves again, with full-back Tony Maurel finishing superbly as Luke Fahy ran the last tackle.

Carr eked up the lead to 30-24 with his 40-metre penalty, before York hearts, so troubled in recent weeks, were in mouths once again as more late drama unfolded.


Match facts

Knights: Carr 8, Dent 8, Ford 9, Latus 6, Browne 7, Brown 6, Presley 8, Potter 8, Lee 6, Bell 8, Lyons 8, Smith 8, Pickles 7. Subs (all used): Brining 8, Sullivan 8, Iley 7, Freer 6.

Tries: Lee 11; Carr 36; Brining 47, 62; Browne 54.

Conversions: Carr 11, 36, 47, 62.

Penalty: Carr 75.

Toulouse: Maurel, Innes, Didone, Quitilla, Ader, Ford, Kheirallah, Vunakece, Fahy, Barthau, Moliner, Williams, Masselot. Subs (all used): Kriouache, Couturier, Gonzalez, Gout.

Tries: Vunakece 14, 24; Kheirallah 18; Mourel 69; Ader 80.

Conversions: Kheirallah 14, 24, 18, 69.

Man of the match: there were several very good efforts, none more so than that by James Ford, who took it upon himself time and time again in the second half to get the Knights on the front foot.

Referee: Dave Merrick (Pontefract) – little bit lax on offsides but otherwise pretty good.

Penalties: 6-2.

Weather: parky and with a downpitch wind.

Half-time: 12-18.

Attendance: 431.

Gaffe of the match: it is harsh on Austin Bell to give him a bad mark on perhaps his best showing for the Knights, continuously running the ball in hard, but his fumble near half-way curtailed the Knights’ control on proceedings and set the platform for Toulouse’s 69th-minute try, giving them a springboard back in.

Moment of the match: Kriss Brining zig-zagging home for a fine solo try to get the Knights level on 47 minutes.

Gamebreaker: York’s decision to go for two points, with five minute left, to make it 30-24 proved crucial as Tom Carr’s successful 40-metre goal meant Toulouse, to draw level, would have to convert if they scored a late try. They got the try in the last minute, but Mark Kheirallah could not convert.

Match rating: it might not be good for the old ticker, but this was yet another cracker that swung both ways before going right down to the wire.