BOSS James Ford had said his York City Knights side would not again be surprised by Gloucestershire All Golds, and so it proved.

One of York's three regular-season defeats last season came at the Prince of Wales Stadium in Cheltenham, when Gary Thornton's side had Austin Bell sent off.

This time, they could easily have had Jack Aldous carded, too, but it was the All Golds who, after getting repeatedly pinged for ill-discipline, ended with 12 men, by which time the Knights had already sealed a 46-6 victory.

Aldous is known for punching above his weight at prop, but here he did so very literally, landing Brett Scriven on his backside with a crisp right hand through the bigger man’s guard.

While that was punished only by a penalty, Scriven was later shown a red card when, after he dropped the ball, he decked little hooker Harry Carter for no discernible reason other than frustration.

York, with April Press Player of the Month Josh Tonks again the star man, had scored eight tries by then, defying their injury trouble with a polished performance.

Barring a ten-minute spell midway through the first half when the All Golds came back from 10-0 to 10-6, had a try ruled out and threatened to get a roll on, the Knights were in command, making almost all the line breaks in the match, and playing some increasingly attacking rugby.

The first break came inside three minutes when Pat Smith’s pass saw Tonks bust a hole, the return pass sending the scrum-half home. Ben Dent added his first of seven conversions.

After a forward pass saw another chance go begging, a long looping pass by Jonny Presley found the recalled Tyler Craig in space to stroll in.

Craig was one of four changes to the side that lost at Swinton.

Out were the crocked Micky Learmonth, Casey Canterbury and Lee Waterman, while James Clare was recalled by parent club Castleford.

They had to make one more change on arrival here, too, as Jack Pickles, Waterman’s replacement, was not allowed to play by the match doctor. Apparently, Pickles had passed his head test – the mandatory check for anyone who has recently suffered concussion – but the paperwork was unclear.

Teenager Liam Richmond was instead drafted in for his second appearance as a second-half sub, having initially been on the bus as 18th man for experience.

As expected, fellow youngster Kane Riley was recalled for his second appearance, too, with Ryan Mallinder and Craig also back.

Canterbury’s absence, allied to Kriss Brining’s injury, meant Ford was short of hookers, so scrum-half Smith filled in there when Carter had his breather, with the skilful but inexperienced Riley going in at half-back.

Both he and Richmond, who had a stint in the front row, would have benefited from the game-time and both did their chances of further involvement no harm.

Gloucestershire’s first attack garnered their only try. It came on the back of two penalties – with the first, for reefing, being a ludicrous decision as the grounded player merely threw the ball over his own head. Matt Bradley’s kick on the last tackle saw Chris Vitalini get the touchdown amid a melee, Bradley goaling.

That attacking kicking game – from Bradley and half-back partner Courtney Davies – had been pinpointed by Ford as a potential danger and helped to trap York at their own end during the hosts’ purple patch.

After one repeat set, hooker Steve Parry was sure he had dug over from dummy-half but was deemed held up.

Instead, Craig broke out of defence to make 50 metres and Tonks made the most of the stretched home line to skip through tacklers to make it 16-6.

The second-row was immediately at it again, busting through out of nothing, with Dent, up in support, sprinting home.

Bradley’s kicking game was to the fore early in the second half, bustling centre Brad England taking a chip in mid-air at full pelt but unable to put it down.

However, Pat Smith, now at hooker, was even more dangerous, not least with his scoots, and when he combined with Jonny Presley, whose change of pace caught the defence cold, he took the return pass to bag his second against the side with whom he had a loan spell in 2013.

Tonks, too, got his second, again running forcefully on a good angle to burst through.

The second-row then turned provider, his cut-out pass giving Nev Morrison a half-chance which the winger took superbly.

By now it was all York, aided by an ever-increasing penalty count, aside Aldous’ right hook.

Gloucester hung on, though, until Presley’s long pass and an excellent interchange between Craig and Dent, gave Greg Minikin a try.

The hosts’ bad day was capped two minutes from time when Scriven went for his early bath.

MATCH FACTS

All Golds: Martin, Pywell, Reece, England, Cowburn, Davies, Bradley, Purslow, Parry, Scriven, Whittle, Mulkeen, McClean. Subs (all used): Griffiths, Davidson, Vitalini, Duffy.

Tries: Vitalini 20.

Conversions: Bradley 20.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: Scriverns 78.

Sin-binned: none.

Knights: B Dent 6, Craig 7, Minikin 8, Cunningham 7, N Morrison 6, Presley 7, P Smith 8, Applegarth 7, Carter 6, Aldous 7, Tonks 9, E Smith 8, Roche 7. Subs (all used): Riley 6, Mallinder 7, Richmond 6, Nicholson 6.

Tries: P Smith 3, 46; Craig 12; Tonks 35, 56; B Dent 37; Morrison 60; Minikin 75.

Conversions: B Dent 3, 35, 37, 46, 56, 60, 75.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Man of the match: Josh Tonks – the April Player of the Month isn’t the biggest second-row but his angles, aggression and forcefulness see him regularly bust through the line, which he did again here, bagging two tries and set three more up to boot.

Referee: Jon Roberts (Leeds) – used his whistle a lot but didn’t consider yellow carding anyone despite the persistent offending. Didn’t considering carding Jack Aldous, either, when he put Brett Scrivern on his backside with a crisp right hand.

Penalty count: 9-18

Half-time: 6-22

Weather: breezy.

Attendance: 350 (approx)

Moment of the match: Josh Tonks’ first try, on the back off Tyler Craig’s long break out of defence, Nev Morrison’s fine finish from Tonks’ cut-out pass, and Greg Minikin’s try to cap the win, set up by excellent interplay from Jonny Presley, Craig and Ben Dent, were arguably the pick of the scores.

Gaffe of the match: Gloucestershire’s continual offending did themselves no favours.

Gamebreaker: Gloucestershire had threatened a comeback in the first half but two tries in three minutes inspired by Josh Tonks made it 22-6 at the interval and the first score on the resumption was crucial in deciding which way the game might go thereafter – Pat Smith getting it for York after Jonny Presley’s dart into space.

Match rating: Decent fare to get York back to winning ways.