IT might have been something of a dead rubber given both York City Knights and Doncaster were already in the League One play-offs, sure to finish either fourth or fifth.

It remains unclear, too, which final position would be preferable, with a trip to Rochdale or Barrow awaiting in the semi-finals. Losing this game may even prove beneficial.

But still, the Knights, having been dire for the first hour, nearly pulled off the comeback of the League One season, Kriss Brining sparking a remarkable finale of five tries in 15 minutes to go within a whisker of snatching a result from 30-0 behind.

However, Tyler Craig, having converted the first four, could not equalise with the last from the right touchline and, as the team went for broke on the final play of the game, Jordan Howden intercepted to seal a 36-28 Doncaster win.

It therefore gave Gary Thornton the revenge he craved - but how nearly he had it stolen back.

The former Knights head coach was still smarting from the 46-16 pasting his Doncaster side had been handed by his old club at the Keepmoat in March and he was keen to return some of that medicine to his successor and former number two, James Ford, on his first return to the Minster city since controversially being axed at the end of 2014.

The match should have meant a fair bit to York too, especially given it was their last at home this season - and, amid the off-field strife, still potentially their last at home full stop.

The last half-hour did provide a rousing finale, but could not make up for the awful opening hour.

Still, full amends can yet be made when it really matters.

Austin Buchanan and Mark Applegarth were sidelined by injuries suffered in Sunday’s win over Skolars – the result that banked the Knights’ play-off place - while Micky Learmonth was unavailable.

Andy Smith, the former Super League winger turned prop, started in the front row and Ben Dent was Buchanan’s natural replacement on the wing. Brad Hey was also recalled onto the bench.

Doncaster were down to their last 19 but that number still included Kiwi prop Iafeta Paleaaesina, the dual-reg Hull star.

Ex-Knights in the ranks included full-back Tom Carr, stand-off Howden and forwards Brad Nicholson and veteran Mark Castle.

Former York enforcer Joe Pickets-O’Donnell, a controversial feisty figure in the previous meeting, was out, the latest to join their injury list.

Like with Thornton, there was personal pride in it for those lads, and Carr and Howden – who sat out that March encounter - and Nicholson all got on the scoresheet.

It had been very much the other way round on that previous meeting when York’s ex-Donny lads shone, but here the terrible tone was set early on by two gaffes from James Haynes, the usually ultra-reliable full-back.

York missed the game’s first chance, Danny Nicklas’ pass pinging off Josh Tonks’ chest as the second-row bore down on goal.

But Doncaster were soon ahead.

Haynes, coming out of defence, had the ball stolen by big Connor Scott who had a free run to the sticks, Carr adding the first of his four conversions.

There was suggestion, with another Doncaster player in attendance, that it should have been a penalty for stripping the ball two on one. But no.

If that was a rare mistake, Haynes soon made another, fumbling a bobbling kick.

Doncaster duly got in again, Sam Doherty being deemed to touch down just before being bundled into touch. Home players and fans weren’t convinced, but there is no video referee in League One.

It got worse for York, as Tonks conceded a penalty and swift ball play to the left saw Doherty get over again.

Brining’s speedy play finally brought York a chance, Brett Waller blasting close, but the Dons’ defence was stronger than it had been in March.

Moreover, back at the other end, after more penalties, Paleaaesina got over to stretch the lead to 20-0.

Frustrations in the home ranks increased when referee Andy Sweet missed a blatant trip on replacement hooker Harry Carter close to the Donny sticks. In truth, something needed to happen to lift the atmosphere.

York finished the half better, but a couple of refereeing calls, and another ball steal, helped present Donny with early pressure on the resumption.

Super defence denied Paleaaesina a second try but Nicholson soon got over.

Another mistake by Haynes, this underneath a steepling, spiralling Howden bomb, gave Donny another attacking set but the defence forced the error and a breakaway lifted the crowd.

But Andy Smith, now at centre, lost his footing as he cut inside at pace. Mike Emmett was held up when going from dummy-half. Jonny Presley’s grubber came to nothing.

Instead, Doncaster got the next try and it summed up York’s hitherto hapless night.

Howden’s grubber ricocheted back to him to make it 30-0 on the hour.

Brining was then sent back on and took it upon himself to start a fightback out of nowhere. Doncaster simply couldn’t handle him.

He was held short when going for the line but got a fine basketball pass out for skipper Jack Aldous to cross.

When Brining next went for the whitewash, he got what appeared to be further consolation.

But tails were now up and, after Brining was denied a super second, Nicklas dummied and crashed through.

Soon the impossible suddenly seemed possible when sharp passes outside then inside sent Haynes sprinting through to make some amends for his early errors.

Donny could have sealed it as Carr missed a drop goal. Instead York broke upfield again and, when Jonny Presley’s grubber was mishandled by the defence, Andy Smith gobbled up the chance.

However, he perhaps could have got closer to the sticks to make Craig’s fifth conversion easier.

After the kick was missed, York just had time for one last go but, as they went for broke, Howden intercepted.

A sidenote amid the late drama was that Brandon Westerman joined York’s injury list, his arm in a sling.

MATCH FACTS

Knights 28 Doncaster 36

Knights: Haynes 5, B Dent 5, E Smith 6, Craig 6, Saxton 6, Presley 5, Nicklas 6, A Smith 6, Brining 8, Aldous 6, Tonks 6, Westerman 6, Emmett 6. Subs (all used): Carter 6, Spiers 6, Waller 6, Hey 5.

Tries: Aldous 64; Brining 69; Nicklas 72; Haynes 74; A Smith 79.

Conversions: Craig 65, 68, 71, 74.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Doncaster: Carr, Foggin-Johnson, Jones-Bishop, Doherty, Sheriff, Howden, Hedges, Aizue, Kesik, Scott, B Nicholson, Walton, Milton. Subs (all used): Wright, Braham, Paleeasina, Castle.

Tries: Scott 4; Doherty 10, 15; Palaeeasina 24; Nicholson 47; Howden 60, 80.

Conversions: Carr 4, 24, 47, 80.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Man of the match: Kriss Brining was probably the only Knight whose stock actually rose in this game. He sparked the comeback singlehandedly to such an extent if he could have passed to himself his team may well have won the match.

Referee: Andy Sweet (Castleford) – missed a blatant trip on Harry Carter close to the Doncaster posts which incensed the home ranks and didn’t help York’s frustrations. Couple of 50-50 touch judge decisions went Donny’s way too. Those calls didn’t decide the match, though.

Penalty count: 8-5

Weather: breezy but pleasant.

Half-time: 0-20

Attendance: 540

Moment of the match: Kriss Brining realised he would be denied a trademark try from dummy-half but still got an excellent one-handed basketball pass out for Jack Aldous to get over and start the Knights’ remarkable late try spree that so very nearly turned this game on it head.

Gaffe of the match: the two early mistakes by the normally reliable James Haynes set the tone for an hour, the first seeing Connor Scott steal the ball and have a clear run to the line and the second being a handling error giving the field position from which Sam Doherty got a quick second try.

Gamebreaker: Well, it really should have been Doncaster’s first two tries of the second half that put them 30-0 up by the hour mark, but in the end, following the Knights’ crazy comeback, it was Jordan Howden’s interception try on the hooter that finally sealed victory.

Match rating: Given what had happened in the preceding hour, York having been terrible up to that point, it was pretty remarkable they made a game of it at the end, Kriss Brining having been the spark.