YORK City Knights’ winning start to 2016 was going to have to end at some stage – and it went in a cracking Challenge Cup tie at Dewsbury.

The Championship side might have had a dozen or so players ruled out but Knights boss James Ford still insisted they were “enormous favourites” for this Ladbrokes Challenge Cup fifth round tie and that claim was backed up by the bookmakers, with League One York having a 20-point start on handicap coupons.

In the end, those bookies weren’t far off, with a 30-16 final scoreline – but it was a harsh one on Ford’s men, who got a deserved loud standing ovation from the travelling faithful at the end of a tough old match which, possibly, could have gone either way.

The Rams built a 10-0 lead but York, just as they did at Rochdale in the iPro Sport Cup, breathed in, breathed out, lifted themselves and struck back to take a 16-10 interval advantage - Austin Buchanan, captain for the day against his former club, scoring a superb try on the hooter.

In a nip and tuck second half, however, the Rams had the edge, but they needed two penalties, a few more cheap free-kicks which swung momentum their way, and, as they got on top towards the end, a lucky try late on to seal things.

Championship rugby league is a cut above League One in intensity, pace and power, and regardless of injuries, the Rams still had a decent team still to call on, and home advantage.

The Knights began well enough, keeping them pinned back, but two cheap penalties got the hosts up the other end and they got over the whitewash only for big Karl Pryce’s try to be ruled out for a forward pass.

They immediately had another chance after a fumble by Brad Hey from the scrum but they forced the pass on the first tackle and it went to ground.

And another, as Joel Farrell milked a penalty off referee Andy Sweet, James Morland caught out, but this time Buchanan forced opposite winger Dale Morton to put a foot in touch.

Nevertheless, just as it seemed the danger was over, a great run by home full-back Josh Guzdek regained field position and, after Andy Kain’s pinpoint kick ricocheted off an upright, Jack Teanby was accredited with the touchdown.

The Rams kept the pressure on and, following a crossfield kick by James Glover, Dale Morton finished well, albeit helped by Buchanan’s slip.

Glover – the lad who had a stint with the Knights early last year without breaking into the first team – was one of the few Dewsbury changes to the side that lost to Bradford in the league last week, a result which was payback for knocking the Bulls out of the cup.

He was in for playmaker Paul Sykes (hamstring), while Pryce was in at centre for the suspended Jason Crookes. Pryce is hardly the most mobile but the way he lifted six-footer Morland up and carried him into touch ilke a rag doll showed what he brought to the party.

The Knights, as expected, made six changes to the side that saw off Hemel, having rested several men that day.

They needed to score next and did so – Danny Nicklas’ kick inside was read perfectly by Rich Wilkinson, the full-back onto it like a flash.

And it was their turn to score twice in quick succession, Kriss Brining with his trademark try from dummy-half.

Nicklas hit an upright with the first conversion – his inconsistent goalkicking rearing its head – but nailed the second.

With the heavy pitch and constant rain, expansive rugby was never going to be easy, and the hard yards up the muddy middle would be harder than usual.

But the Knights made a mockery of the slippy conditions with a wonderful third try to take the lead on the half-time hooter.

Josh Tonks’ fierce pass was flicked on superbly by Hey and Buchanan scooped up an impossible ball around his ankles and in the same movement dived into the corner. Not a bad way to mark a return to a ground he graced for a decade.

Nicklas converted from the touchline too for a 16-10 lead.

The second half could not have begun worse, though, as York were cruelly deemed offside from the kick-off and a sweeping Dewsbury move brought Morton his second try. Glover, noted for his kicking during his time at York, converted from the touchline to level.

The confidence in York’s camp was clear when they passed up an easy two points to run a penalty, but Brining this time was held up.

The Rams did no such thing, though, boss Glenn Morrison shouting from the stands to have a shot at goal from near 40 metres, Glover obliging to eke his side ahead.

Glover also constantly tested York’s back three with massive bombs throughout the second half, the ball coming down with snow on it amid the rain.

Wilkinson was unable to take one on the run and, in the Rams set that followed, Dalton Grant touched down a smart kick.

A barnstorming straight run by prop Jack Teanby, knocking over both Harry Carter and Wilkinson, then ended in a penalty for holding down and Glover booted the two points to leave York needing two scores with ten minutes left.

Whether it was fatigue or rain or mud, the Knights didn’t get it together enough thereafter to threaten another comeback, not helped by a penalty count growing in the Rams’ favour.

And it was all over when, with four minutes left, Andy Kain’s kick bounced straight back to him off an unfortunate Mike Emmett’s knee, with the scrum-half’s try converted by Glover.

MATCH FACTS

Dewsbury Knights

Dewsbury: Guzdek, Morton, Pryce, Grady, Grant, Glover, Kain, Jackson, Speakman, Teanby, Trout, Farrell, Brown. Subs (all used): Conroy, Bates, Walker, T Tonks.

Tries: Teanby 16; Morton 20, 42; Grant 67; Kain 76.

Conversions: Glover 16, 42, 76.

Penalties: Glover 59, 70.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Knights: Wilkinson 7, Buchanan 8, Hey 6, Morland 7, B Dent 7, Presley 7, Nicklas 7, Waller 7, Carter 6, Aldous 8, J Tonks 8, E Smith 7, Emmett 7. Subs (all used): Brining 8, Applegarth 8, Spiers 8, Osbourne 6.

Tries: Wilkinson 29; Brining 33; Buchanan 40.

Conversions: Nicklas, 40, 40.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Man of the match: Mark Applegarth – the player/assistant-coach gave a cracking display on his 100th appearance for the club, and the side looked better when he was on the field.

Referee: Andy Sweet (Castleford) – missed a blatant knock on by Dewsbury 20 metres from their own line just after they had taken an 18-16 lead, and the penalty count was also harsh on the visitors.

Penalty count: 12-6

Weather: cold with constant rain onto an already heavy pitch.

Half-time: 10-16

Attendance: 707

Moment of the match: As the clock ticked towards half-time, great hands down the short side by Josh Tonks and, especially, Brad Hey, saw Austin Buchanan scoop up an impossible ball around his ankles in the mud and in the same movement dive into the corner for a wonderful try against his former club.

Gaffe of the match: a short run of cheap turnovers and penalties as the game approached the quarter-mark helped the Rams build a 10-0 lead.

Gamebreaker: Jack Teanby’s barnstorming run for Dewsbury with ten minutes left led to a penalty for holding down and James Glover, once a Knights reserve, kicked the two points to eke his side two scores ahead with ten minutes left.

Match rating: a cracking cup tie which could have gone either way, with both teams contending admirably with the rain and mud.