YORK City Knights’ destiny remains in their own hands, but only just as they slipped further down the Kingstone Press Championship standings after a 42-16 home defeat to champions Sheffield.

Victory yesterday was always a long shot given the sides’ respective form – York on a five-game losing streak while the Eagles have soared to the top of the table – but a crucial bonus point, like that gained at Halifax last week, was a realistic hope for the hosts, and indeed in the offing until a raft of daft decisions midway through the second half saw the game taken away.

The final scoreline was unfair on York’s efforts, especially having given almost as good as they got in the first half to trail only 18-16. But in many ways it reflected Sheffield’s dominance, both up front, where the game was being won, and on the edges, where South Sea Islanders Menzie Yere, with a club record 36th try of the season, and Quentin Laulu-Togagae (QLT), with a hat-trick, again showed devastating prowess.

That bonus point duly slipped away in the final quarter, and means the Knights now sit above the relegation zone only on points-difference. They play the two teams below them in their next two games, the importance of which needs no extra emphasis here.

The first daft decision came on 55 minutes, after the Knights had withstood constant Sheffield pressure since the interval and finally got upfield thanks to a penalty. There they were handed another penalty, in front of the sticks, and unsurprisingly boss Gary Thornton told his team to boot two points to equalise at 18-18.

Instead Jack Iley ran it – was that the call he got on the pitch? – and they ended getting nothing. The obvious argument is a try would have been greater reward and it’s no bad thing they had the confidence to go for it, but a two-pointer would have left the Eagles needing to score thrice to deny York a bonus point.

The next daft play came, in York’s next attack, and this one was more costly. Jonny Presley chipped straight to Sheffield winger Vinny Finigan, with no Knight in sight, and Finigan began a counter-attack which ended with Yere blasting over, claims for a forward pass in back play being ignored.

Two minutes later, Tom Carr tried an over-ambitious chip and chase, and again the ball ended unsurprisingly in Sheffield hands, this counter-attack ending with QLT crossing.

It could have been 18-18 but it was 16-30, out of bonus point range.

In mitigation for Presley and Carr, they were perhaps trying something different to break down the Eagles on rare York forays. Throughout this second half their side had been repeatedly pinned back, stuck with nowhere to go, often unable to get out of their own 30-metre area, so it is possibly unfair to single them out for criticism for not making the most of very occasional attacking positions.

But, still, more nous was needed.

York’s only close thing in this second period came when Joe Pickets – conspicuous in the first half for his trademark big hitting – was held up over the line.

But at the other end, Mitch Stringer had a try harshly ruled out for a forward pass, and Dom Brambani – who kicked seven conversions from seven – lost the ball when trying to add a touchdown to his tally.

Yet the Eagles did score again, via a QLT solo try after receiving the ball from a scrum, and a last-minute effort by Tom Armstrong, finishing well, beyond despairing defence.

As Knights boss Gary Thornton said, Sheffield, a juggernaut at Championship level, had found another gear following the interval. Conversely, his home side, in trying to match them, stalled and ultimately spluttered to a standstill. Here’s hoping they find new spark plugs come Thursday’s trip to Swinton.

The first period had been different.

George Elliott somehow stopped Yere giving the Eagles an early lead when he looked sure to score – in fact, the Knights, in particular Elliott, marshalled the PNG centre well all day, even if this did leave gaps elsewhere. Then QLT dropped a spiralling bomb by Carr and, following the attacking scrum, Jack Lee put the Knights ahead from close-range.

Craig Potter was also held up and Ben Johnston went close from his own kick, but at the other end Sheffield got a penalty for obstruction and benefited as Stringer barrelled through.

Sheffield stayed on the front foot but half-back Johnston relieved the pressure in style, dummying under his own sticks to break clear to half-way, after which James Ford flicked a superb pass out for Elliott to cross. Ford, back after injury, at no point looked fully fit, though, and sat out the game’s last ten minutes.

Sheffield hit back as QLT took them from one end of the pitch to the other, where Pat Walker sent Mike Knowles home, but, after Dougie Flockhart had done well to gather a decent Presley chip into no-man’s land, Johnston jinked in superbly for York’s third try, Carr adding his second goal.

However, just when the Knights needed to consolidate, Elliott, being tackled into touch, flipped up an offload straight to Yere, who sent QLT racing 60 metres home for their half-time advantage. If only the ill-advised plays ended there.


Match facts

Knights: Carr 6, Elliott 7, Ford 6, J Latus 6, Flockhart 7, Johnston 8, Presley 6, Potter 6, Lee 7, Aldous 6, Scott 8, Mallinder 5, Pickets 8. Subs (all used): Iley 5, Lyons 6, Bell 6, Stenchion 6.

Tries: Lee 7; Elliott 24; Johnston 35.

Conversions: Carr 24, 35.

Penalty: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Sent off: none.

Sheffield: Laulu-Togagae, Taulapapa, Yere, Armstrong, Finigan, Walker, Brambani, Battye, Henderson, Stringer, Knowles, Straugheir, Hirst. Subs (all used): Roche, Higgins, Szostak, Sanders.

Tries: Stringer 20; Knowles 30; Laulu-Togagae 39, 62, 72; Yere 59; Armstrong 80.

Conversions: Brambani 20, 30, 39, 59, 62, 72, 80.

Sin-binned: none.

Sent off: none.

Man of the match: Sam Scott – worked tirelessly against his former club, but in vain.

Referee: Gareth Hewer (Whitehaven) – okay.

Penalties: 7-5.

Half-time: 16-18.

Attendance: 677.

Weather: a bit breezy.

Moment of the match: it began with the Knights looking to clear their lines, when Ben Johnston dummied under his own posts and got free to race to half-way, and it ended as James Ford got a pass out of the back door to take two defenders out of the game and give George Elliott an easy finish.

Gaffe of the match: there were four to choose from: George Elliott’s offload which fell straight to Menzie Yere, who sent QLT racing home from 60 metres for a half-time advantage; ill-advised kicks by Jonny Presley and Tom Carr then ended in counter-attack Sheffield tries; and, before that try double, the decision to run a penalty when two easy points would have drawn York level in the second half and stemmed the Eagles’ growing dominance.

Gamebreaker: York should have equalised with a penalty but Jack Iley ran it, and when they didn’t get a try, the game went increasingly Sheffield’s way.

Match rating: great first-half entertainment but the champions’ power and pace proved overwhelming in the second.