YORK City Knights hadn’t won at Keighley since 2008 but they finally ended that hoodoo – and solidified fourth place in League One - with a 25-18 triumph in a feisty old encounter against old friends and foes.

The victory should have been more straightforward than it was after one old friend, former Knight Josh Tonks, was sent off four minutes before half-time, with York going into the interval 22-0 up.

However, a battling and considerably more disciplined second half from the 12 men, allied to a scratchy display from a Knights side beset by injuries and positional changes, left James Ford’s men hanging on to some extent at the end.

Nevertheless, the most important thing – in arguably the most important of York’s last four games before the Super 8s split – was the outcome, and, considering the young average age of the team out there at the end, plus the club’s record at Cougar Park, it was a cracking result.

However, while one hoodoo ended, another returned - James Haynes being stretchered off with a suspected broken leg, left facing another long absence in a luckless injury-hit career.

Veteran winger Tommy Saxton (back) and new recruit Tuoyo Egodo (hamstring) also departed, with positional switches seeing utility ace Brad Hey play on the wing, back-row Ed Smith at centre and hooker Will Jubb in the second-row.

The odds of York ending their Cougar Park jinx had looked even longer as they headed over with an already injury-hit squad, Harry Carter having joined fellow hooker Andy Ellis in the treatment room.

In-form stand-off Liam Harris was also absent, called up by parent club Hull KR.

However, there were two big pre-match boosts.

Ash Robson passed a late fitness test to take his place at full-back.

Then, in an even bigger shock, it was announced Tim Spears - having been left out of the 19 on Friday and not named on the teamsheet here - would in fact start at loose-forward having passed a later test.

He was immense, too, especially in holding things together in the second half.

Dual-reg hooker Jubb and fit-again half-back Harry Tyson-Wilson also made timely returns, while Egodo made his debut at centre after arriving on loan from Castleford. Egodo has some power but he had an at times nervy outing before his early exit.

Keighley for their part were missing veteran full-back Richie Hawkyard, winger Vinny Finnigan and prop Scott Law.

Fit and raring to go, though, were ex-Knights Tonks, Mike Emmett and Brad Nicholson – the latter was the pick, although they each overstepped the line a little as they tried to make their mark.

Emmett, for his part, gave away a few too many penalties, including the game’s first, which led to York taking an early lead.

Home full-back Harry Adamson had struggled underneath a Connor Robinson bomb and conceded a scrum. With Robson immediately engaging defenders and Emmett conceding that extra set, York stretched the defence and Tyson-Wilson found Ed Smith on a cracking line to the sticks.

New boy Robinson, guilty of missing late penalties in the two-point loss to Whitehaven which ended York’s six-match winning run, converted – and ended with six goals from seven, including, perhaps ironically, three penalties.

The Knights’ next real attack ended considerably worse – Haynes needing lengthy treatment before being stretchered off.

Hey was a natural replacement at left-centre.

It got feisty, Keighley already beginning to get frustrated. How James Feather escaped a card for a head butt on Adam Robinson is anyone’s guess.

But York upped their lead on the back of the penalty, a short ball from Tyson-Wilson, after good work from Smith, seeing Joe Batchelor stride home.

It was 18-0 after a 25th-minute cracker.

Connor Robinson’s chip was taken on the run by Smith and the skipper got out a great offload for Chris Siddons to score.

York got a bit sloppy. Egodo and Will Jubb conceded cheap turnover, Egodo also conceding a penalty.

But, while the Cougars’ attack looked interested, the Knights’ eager defence survived.

A couple of thumping tackles by Egodo made amends for his errors, and when he dislodged the ball from Andy Gabriel’s grasp, it set the field position for York’s next points, a penalty won by Robson and knocked over by Robinson.

It got feisty again, and this time there was a card - Tonks going for his early bath for a shocking late tackle on Connor Robinson.

York should have immediately crossed again but Ronan Dixon – having otherwise made a great impact at prop – held on with two men free on the left.

Still, another penalty followed and Robinson made it 22-0.

There was still time for more Cougars irritation – Nicholson knocking on and then bizarrely turning on Spears, the half-time hooter cutting the nonsense short.

It was 12 v 12 early in the second half, though, as Moran was sin-binned for a foul in the ruck, and Keighley quickly got on the board – Nicholson, impressive in the second stanza, crashing over, with Matty Beharrell goaling.

Then Dee Foggin-Johnston lost the ball in a hit-up and Davey Dixon had a straightforward sprint home.

York settled, though, and another foul saw Robinson complete a hat-trick of penalties to make it 24-10.

It should then have been 30-10 and game over after Robinson broke through but, with a simple scoring pass to Smith, he inexplicably held on and was tackled.

With Keighley more disciplined and York losing players, fluidity and focus, the Cougars threatened again, especially when winger Dixon got his second try after Beharrell had gone down the short side at a scrum conceded by Pat Smith.

York struggled to break down more resolute home defence, but they did eke up their lead to 25-14 with a Robinson drop-goal.

He also had the chance to put his side three scores ahead with another penalty late on but, in shades of last week, missed.

York were further rattled when Robson spilled the ball and Andy Gabriel finished a fine attack.

Robson’s poor restart went straight out, too, handing the hosts even more hope.

But the hooter went as Adam Ryder was held just short in the corner.