IT wasn't quite the try-fest some fans anticipated after last week's toppling of leaders Rochdale but York City Knights still jumped a place to sixth in Kingstone Press League One after a comfortable 40-10 defeat of lowly London Skolars.

The nomadic Knights, back in town having swapped Featherstone's Post Office Road ground for the more homely surroundings of Elmpark Way, Heworth, were not at their free-flowing best but racked up eight more tries as they stayed very much in the play-off race - despite fears a few short weeks ago that they were falling off the pace.

And, of course, despite their off-field issues.

Of further note, they now have the meanest defence in the division, having conceded 160 points in their nine games, one fewer than current table-toppers Keighley and North Wales, who dropped to eighth after losing to Rochdale.

It was so assured here that it seemed surprising the Skolars managed a try in each half.

Similarly surprising, though, given the Londoners' powder-puff performance against York in the season's iPro Sports Cup opener in March, were their game endeavours on this occasion, the scoreline and manner of performance being far removed from the 78-10 thrashing of three months ago.

New player-boss Jermaine Coleman - who had a spell at Huntington Stadium back in 2003 and in more recent years has been a beacon for various expansion clubs in the south - deserves credit for effecting some sort of turnaround, even if they remain, for now, second bottom.

That the Knights weren't at their free-flowing best, despite enjoying the Villagers' plush award-winning pitch, was partly down to that doggedness and partly to the greasy conditions.

The scoreline would still have been greater, though, but for a few missed chances, missed conversions - Ben Dent goaled four of eight - and a few attacks later in the game failing to click.

James Ford's men nevertheless controlled the first half-hour to build a 20-0 lead.

The Skolars tried to slow York down throughout but it backfired in a penalty count of 10-4 - which could easily have been more - and on the scoreboard as early as the eighth minute when their first transgression, a foolish one on the last tackle, gave York an attacking set at the end of which an off-load by Ed Smith created space for a Nev Morrison try, Jonny Presley the orchestrator.

Three minutes later, Josh Tonks blasted through and sent Jordan Howden home.

Smith then ran over Coleman to create space again and Presley nipped in to take a quick play-the-ball, dart forward and send Ryan Mallinder diving over.

After the penalty count reached 5-0, York again pressed the line and Howden found the space to get his second.

It took the Skolars half an hour to forge a real attack - but when they did, they scored.

Scrum-half Marcus Elliott’s reverse kick caught York debutant Jack Blagborough flat on his heels, and visiting full-back James Anthony, alive to it, nipped in. Elliott goaled.

On-loan Sheffield prop Blagborough, napping here, otherwise looked powerful with the ball and should get sharper for the run-out.

York upped their lead on half-time as Jack Pickles drove over the whitewash and, although the ball popped out in the challenge, referee Sam Ansell gave the try.

It later transpired - thanks to Pickles' gracious admittance - that the ball had been wrenched from his grasp by a defender, and the try belonged to Jack Aldous who sneaked up and touched it down.

The 26-6 interval scoreline could easily have been greater.

Presley had missed a sitter when unable to gather a bobbling ball after a break and kick by Pat Smith, while smart interchange between Morrison and Greg Minikin down the right would have brought reward but for a Skolars hand diverting the latter's inside pass.

That combination was successful seven minutes after the restart, though.

Presley gave them the chance when injecting pace into the attack and Morrison’s quick hands saw Minikin dart home by the touchline.

The next try was similarly good.

Pickles’ offload in centre-field took out defenders and was scooped up by Harry Carter who darted forward and had Josh Tonks in support to sprint home.

Tonks had initially been named on the bench but had started in the second row, with Liam Cunningham instead the back-row substitute.

It was Cunningham who scored next. He had initially come on for Ed Smith but now was at centre, with May Player of the Month Minikin withdrawn early.

Presley was the creator again, noticing defenders had been drawn in and sending out the pass for Cunningham to dummy through.

Skolars got a good second try as Coleman sent a kick to the left which Harvey Burnett patted back for Joe Price to score.

That 64th-minute effort preceded the visitors’ best period as York struggled to click back on, but, despite having more possession and position, they couldn't breach the league's meanest defence again.

MATCH STATS

Knights: B Dent 7, Clare 7, Minikin 8, Channing 7, Morrison 7, Presley 8, Howden 7, Applegarth 7, P Smith 7, Aldous 7, E Smith 7, Tonks 7, Mallinder 7. Subs (all used): Carter 7, Pickles 7, Cunningham 7, Blagborough 6.

Tries: Morrison 8; Howden 11, 26; Mallinder 20; Aldous 39; Minikin 47; Tonks 50; Cunningham 59.

Conversions: B Dent 11, 20, 39, 50.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.


Skolars: Anthony, Morgan, Cook, Price, C Bishay, Coleman, Elliott, Sykes, M Bishay, Reed, Burnett, Faturoti, Bryan. Subs (all used): Cox, Driver, Robinson, Small.

Tries: Anthony 32; Price 64

Conversion: Elliott 32

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Man of the match: Jonny Presley - he missed a sitter when unable to gather Pat Smith's kick near the posts but was at the heart of many of York's profitable attacks simply by injecting pace at key times in a right areas and/or by finding the right pass.

Referee: Sam Ansell (Hudderfield) - could have sped the game up more by warning Skolars much earlier about their lying-on, or punishing them with cards, and he wasn't always strict on offsides.

Penalty count: 10-4

Half-time: 26-6

Weather: cold and damp

Attendance: 401

Moment of the match: quality work by Jonny Presley created a bit of space and Nev Morrison’s quick hands made even more for Greg Minikin to dart home for the Knights' first try after half-time.

Gaffe of the match: the Skolars obviously wanted to slow down York’s attacks but their propensity to mess about too much in the rucks and at play-the-balls ultimately saw the penalties rack up and the pressure on their line increase.

Gamebreaker: Skolars might have had half a sniff when James Anthony’s try pulled it back to 20-6 but touchdowns either side of half-time by Jack Aldous and Greg Minikin made it all pretty safe.

Match rating: Skolars were much more game opponents than the powder-puff side that were hammered in the iPro Sport Cup on the opening day of the season but York were still too good all-round and served up some more decent stuff on Heworth ARLC's plush pitch without being at their free-flowing fluent best in the greasy conditions.