YORK City Knights bounced back in decent fashion from midweek heartbreak against North Wales to comfortably see off Hemel Stags and, thanks to results elsewhere, all but confirm a play-off place with two games to spare.

After the efforts of the past fortnight, which began with the 12-man victory over Oxford on August 9 and included three games this week, plus the downer of that late penalty on Thursday night which curtailed an amazing fight-back, James Ford’s promotion-chasers faced a banana skin fixture in which they could not afford another slip.

But early tries settled the scene at Elmpark Way and a 50-10 final scoreline gave a further boost to their points-difference - which is effectively an extra point in a seven-team race for the top-five play-offs.

They remain second in the table because of it and, although both Keighley and Swinton could go above them by each winning their game in hand, the Cougars' victory at Rochdale means only freak results and an inordinate turnaround in points-difference could now see the Hornets knock York out of the top five.

Leaders Oldham's victory over Barrow, meanwhile, means the Cumbrians cannot now catch Ford's men either.

Ford made four changes in personnel to the side beaten by North Wales – the incomers all going onto the bench - and there were several positional changes too.

Changes in the pivots immediately paid dividends as Kriss Brining, starting at hooker, broke away and had Pat Smith, back at scrum-half after switching from hooker, on his inside to race home.

Then Jordan Howden, who had switched from half-back to full-back, skipped through amid some broken play and it was 16-0 in as many minutes as Ben Dent, named on the wing rather than full-back, showed his finishing prowess out wide after a smart move involving the Smith brothers.

Younger brother Ed had been moved to left-centre from right second-row presumably to shore up a left side which had let in four of the Crusaders’ five tries on Thursday. It was nevertheless that side that conceded the Stags’ first try, albeit a freakish one.

Pat Smith’s attacking pass was picked off by Jy-Mel Coleman and, while Ed Smith got back to haul him down, the half-back sent out a brilliant looping pass which was picked up round his ankles by winger Alex Anthony, who ran home, Charlie Lawrence converting.

Normal service soon resumed as Brining, displaying his now trademark hand-off to push aside three defenders, went by himself on the last tackle and reached over the line for a trademark try from dummy-half.

Mistakes from York crept in, helping the Stags to camp out at their end for the remainder of the half.

But it was York who added to their lead against the run of play.

Firstly, Chris McNamara touched down in the left corner after men were drawn in, only for the try to be disallowed for a forward pass, to the Stags’ dismay.

Then a loose ball on the other flank was scooped up by Dent and he had the speed to outpace opposite winger Anthony for a 75-metre effort - going on to end the day with 22 points from two tries and seven conversions.

Nevertheless York still had trouble under the high ball – just like on Thursday night. Their travails were made worse by a strong wind coming their way in the first half but, while they survived in that stanza, Brad Hey’s knock-on under a Lawrence kick early in the second proved costly – Lawrence going on to score from dummy-half right on the try-line.

At the other end, Hey’s fellow sub, Liam Richmond, had a chance from a Pat Smith grubber but was unable to scoop up the bouncing ball, while Dent had a hat-trick try from a kick ruled out, the refereeing deeming the ball had gone beyond the dead-ball line.

Another chance came and went – Pat Smith breaking through and opting to kick forward, brother Ed taking it on the run but being denied by a superb tackle from full-back Derrell Olpherts, rolling him onto his back and denying the touchdown.

However, they got back on the board just before the hour-mark as Howden’s cut-out pass found Nev Morrison in acres by the right touchline, and, just after the hour-mark, from Mark Applegarth’s little pass, Brad Nicholson displayed nifty feet to get home.

Brining scored again from dummy-half for his second of the day and 21st of term, extending his lead over Greg Minikin in the club’s try-scoring charts to four. Minikin had no chance to cut it back, spending the second half off the field, Ford saving his star man for the bigger games to come.

Josh Tonks was held up over the whitewash and York struggled thereafter to reach the half-century, as the running rugby was off-kilter on both flanks and the handling a little awry, the wind clearly playing its part.

It finally came via a more simple route, Nicholson crashing through in centre-field.

 

MATCH FACTS

Knights 50 Hemel Stags 10

Knights: Howden 7, B Dent 7, E Smith 7, Minikin 6, Morrison 7, Presley 6, P Smith 7, Applegarth 7, Brining 7, Aldous 6, Mallinder 7, Tonks 7, Nicholson 7. Subs (all used): Blagbrough 7, Carter 6, Richmond 6, Hey 6.

Tries: P Smith 3; Howden 7; B Dent 16, 40; Brining 27, 66; Morrison 56; Nicholson 62, 80.

Conversions: B Dent 3, 7, 27, 40, 56, 62, 66.

Hemel: Olpherts, McNamara, Brown, Crowther, Anthony, Lawrence, Coleman, Lloyd-Jones, Helliwell, Ross, Mbaraga, Chester, Ljazouli. Subs (all used): Cousnie, Sadler, O’Callaghan, Muroi.

Tries: Anthony 22; Lawrence 44.

Conversions: Lawrence 22.

Man of the match: Ryan Mallinder - worked hard in attack and defence and put barely a foot wrong on a day when the wind made expansive rugby difficult and meant a good pack effort was paramount.

Referee: Tom Hudson (Leeds) – all right.

Penalty count: 9-4

Half-time: 28-6

Weather: sunny but windy.

Attendance: 384

Moment of the match: Ben Dent's breakaway was the pick of York's nine tries, while Hemel's first try, made by one-time Knight Jy-Mel Coleman and finished by Alex Anthony, deservedly brought applause from the home crowd, but Nev Morrison's touchdown was the best moment, bringing some level of redemption after his 40-minute nightmare against North Wales.

Gaffe of the match: The Pat Smith pass that was picked off by Jy-Mel Coleman, who made him pay the full price by sprinting away and superbly setting up Alex Anthony's try at the other end.

Gamebreaker: York had gone 22-6 up after 27 minutes but spent the next 13 minutes camped deep in their own half, with the wind in their faces. Not only did their goal-line defence stand up to the task but Ben Dent scored a breakaway try for a comfortable interval lead.

Match rating: rather subdued affair compared to the madness of Thursday night’s clash with North Wales but a routine win was probably what the Knights needed at the end of a tough week. That it all but confirmed a play-off spot was a nice bonus.