AFTER three games in a week, with a weakened line-up and with nothing to play for, it was no major surprise that York City Knights should lose at Keighley Cougars in their last game of the Super 8s.

Of more concern heading into the play-offs, though, is their form throughout this part of the season.

A top-five place might have been assured with two games to spare but James Ford’s men have a record of only two wins in seven and that renders them big outsiders in the promotion semi-finals.

It's maybe not surprising that that record coincides with the latest off-field strife, when the players were told the club was to close down and they would be free agents, before being told they’d at least get to see out the season. Indeed, it is still unclear if the club will be around next year.

Still, not much should be read into this particular scoreline, in a game in which, contrary to the Rugby Football League slogan, every minute didn’t really matter.

Previous contests between these two rivals had been close, including the iPro Sport Cup final stolen by Keighley at the death, but this one wasn’t, and the 50-8 result made it 3-1 to the Cougars in the four match-ups this season.

Minor consolation, then, for former York player-boss Paul March in his last game as Cougars chief. But then his lacklustre adversaries didn’t seem too concerned, with more important matters in mind.

Ford was always likely to make changes, resting players ahead of the play-offs.

The biggest surprise was the return out of nowhere of Rich Wilkinson, nearly two months after he “retired”.

The 22-year-old has not been involved recently other than watching games from the stands, but he did tell The Press before Thursday night’s defeat to Doncaster he would don the boots if called upon in an emergency.

This was such a case, with Brandon Westerman crocked, James Haynes, Brett Waller and Russ Spiers all resting knocks, and Jonny Presley given the weekend off after a drop in form.

Veteran winger Tommy Saxton was expected to rest aching bones but he played due to shortage of other numbers, while in alongside Wilkinson came Adam Dent, Micky Learmonth, Jack Anderson and Pat Smith, the latter playing for the first time ever at loose-forward.

That last selection – a throwback to the days of stand-offs at the back of the pack rather than a third prop - suggested Ford sought to out-play the Cougars rather than outmuscle them, with four playmakers on the field.

For the Cougars, it was an emotional farewell for March, who is being axed as coach after failing to win promotion.

It was also a last-ever game before retirement for veterans Paul White, Ash Lindsay and the little general Paul Handforth, a regular tormentor of the Knights down the years and the man who effectively won the iPro Cup final.

With nothing at stake – York in the play-offs, Keighley not – this all had an end-of-season air about it from the off.

Both sides in the first half at least looked to enjoy the outing in the sun. Midway through the second, York looked like they just wanted it over with.

The hosts went ahead early on. A penalty set the field position and decent hands saw Danny Lawton crash over down the right and add the first of his five conversions.

But York got a foothold and hit back.

Danny Nicklas was stopped at the whitewash but, following a dropout that followed, Saxton scored. Opposite winger Andy Gabriel mishandled an interception and the ball landed in Saxton’s hands.

York thought they had gone ahead when Ben Dent, playing at full-back, touched down Pat Smith’s kick but he was offside.

Instead, Keighley went up the other end and, while Brad Hey’s cover tackle denied Ross Peltier, no-one stopped sub Aaron Ollett.

Then it was York’s turn again, Nicklas’ smart restart just bouncing out to give York possession and his next kick just staying in play long enough for Hey to superbly touch it down before it went dead.

However, Keighley extended their lead slightly against the run of play as James Feather was effectively ushered down the right flank by terrible defence and duly sent Lawton in for his second.

Then, after Peltier was again denied, Will Milner crossed on the next tackle for a 24-8 interval lead.

Harry Carter had a try ruled out on the resumption from Mike Emmett’s offload, referee Callum Straw deeming the tackle had been complete and Emmett had to play the ball.

Wilkinson then nearly marked his reappearance with some typical individual play and a solo try after Ed Smith, covering, had beaten Handforth to his own chip through to set up a counter-attack.

York kept the ball alive before Wilkinson kicked through a gap, then hacked on, but he could not touch down before the ball ran dead.

It had been enterprising but it also wasted good field position on tackle one. The best and worst of Wilkinson in one cameo.

At the other end, Keighley likewise threw the ball around and, from Handforth’s kick, veteran full-back Ritchie Hawkyard plucked the ball out of the air and touched down as defenders waited for it to come down.

Amid an ongoing period of home pressure, comprising four dropouts, more decent play from the Cougars saw Lawton complete his hat-trick.

Hawkyard then grabbed a second cracker as the home fun really kicked in against increasingly listless opponents - the three retirees all marking their last-ever matches by getting on the scoresheet late on.

Lindsay kicked the conversion to much amusement, Handforth rolled back the years with a chip-and-chase try, and White added this goal before flying onto a Handforth grubber on the hooter.

MATCH FACTS

Keighley 50 Knights 8

Keighley: R Hawkyard, Gabriel, Lawton, Barnes, White, Milner, Handforth, Law, Feather, Cherryholme, D Hawkyard, Rawlins, Lindsay. Subs (all used): Sheriffe, Oakes, Ollett, Peltier.

Tries: Lawton 2, 34, 62; Ollett 28; Milner 39; R Hawkyard 54, 75; Handforth 78; White 80.

Conversions: Lawton 2, 28, 34, 39, 54; Lindsay 75; White 78.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Knights: B Dent 5, Saxton 6, Craig 5, A Smith 5, A Dent 6, Wilkinson 6, Nicklas 5, Learmonth 6, Brining 5, Emmett 6, Hey 6, E Smith 6, P Smith 6. Subs (all used): Aldous 6, Carter 5, Anderson 6, Tonks 5.

Tries: Saxton 15; Hey 30.

Conversions: none.

Penalties: none.

Sent off: none.

Sin-binned: none.

Man of the match: Ed Smith – there were a few nice touches from the second-row but in truth nobody stood out a great deal on an afternoon when York, especially come the second half, basically made up the numbers to see out the regulation season.

Referee: Callum Straw (Wakefield) – good.

Penalty count: 4-4 Weather: sunny.

Half-time: 24-8

Attendance: 658

Moment of the match: Danny Nicklas’ grubber kick appeared to be bouncing high and out but Brad Hey was onto it like a shot and did really well to gather it and touch down before it went dead.

Gaffe of the match: it is understandable given the circumstances and the fact this was a dead rubber, but much of York’s defence on the whole was pretty average, fatigue and an obvious lack of vitality to blame.

Gamebreaker: The Knights were in the game at 12-8 down but the two tries before half-time took that score to 24-8 and the second half was always likely to be one-sided as the Knights dropped and fell off the pace in equal measure.

Match rating: a real end-of-season affair with nothing riding on it. Those departing the Cougars got a decent send-off and the lacklustre Knights, with the more important matter of the play-offs to come, didn’t seem to mind.