IF they can continue to use adversity as a motivator, this York City Knights team could yet make a major impact in the Championship One play-offs.

It’s been a tough road for the squad in the past few weeks.

Bedevilled by injuries, and seeing one head coach replaced by another, it would hardly have been surprising had one or two of them cracked in the white-hot atmosphere of game day.

But new boss Dave Woods looks like he is starting to coax something out of this team.

Against Doncaster they showed a steel and nerve that had been missing the last time these two sides met in South Yorkshire. Then, the Knights had tamely surrendered as Doncaster won their first game in 25 with a 40-24 success.

Yesterday, with the game in the balance at 14-12 early in the second period, the Knights were reduced to 12 men when Luke Hardbottle was harshly sin-binned for a late tackle on a kicker.

Far from creep into their shells, however, the Knights used this obstacle as a spur to produce their best spell of the match.

You would have thought Doncaster had the man disadvantage as Woods’ men went through their tackles and, without the ball, relentlessly pressed in defence.

It was a defiant stand and it won them the match.

As Hardbottle came back on, Tom Lineham scored the second of a hat-trick of tries – diving under a defender after the Knights had cycled impressively through possession.

Game, set and match.

It hadn’t looked as comfortable following the opening quarter of an hour, however.

While York had plenty of possession, they were also giving away plenty of penalties and it was from one of these, on 16 minutes, that Doncaster hit them with a sucker punch for the opening try Conceding the ball just 20 metres from the Donny line, the visitors executed a good kick and then swept up the field.

Aaron Henry stepped inside and almost scored himself, before giving the offload to Rob Lunt who broke through a tackle to touch down.

Stunned, the Knights found their feet and Lee Waterman was the man at the helm.

Seeing the full-back waiting for a long punt, Danny Ratcliffe chipped through and collected his own kick inside the Doncaster half before feeding a supporting Waterman on the left-hand side.

There was still work to do, but the prolific scorer dodged a challenge to touch down on 24 minutes.

Waterman turned provider four minutes later as the Knights went in front, dodging a defender and performing a breathtaking offload, while held by a couple of tacklers, for the waiting Lineham to score the easiest of tries.

But Waterman paid the price for his heroics.

Down clutching his ankle, the centre was forced from the field immediately following the try and, defensively shorn down his right hand channel, Doncaster took advantage.

A devastating Lunt break cut the Knights to pieces and he found former Knight Paul Hughes, who passed right to Shaun Leaf to touch down and restore Doncaster’s lead.

Back came the Knights on 39 minutes.

Camped on the Doncaster try line, Chris Clough looked like he had nowhere to go – surrounded by a host of defenders.


Match facts

Knights: Danny Wilson 7, Dennis Tuffour 7, Mike Mitchell 7, Lee Waterman 7, Tom Lineham 8, James Haynes 7, Danny Ratcliffe 8, Alex Benson 7, Jack Lee 8, Nathan Freer 7, Jordan Ross 7, Matty Duckworth 7, Luke Hardbottle 7.

Subs (all used): Eddie Smith 7, Chris Williams 7, Chris Clough 7, Jack Stearman 8.

Tries: Waterman 24; Lineham 28, 55, 80; Lee 39, Wilson 57, Mitchell 65.

Conversions: Ratcliffe 57.

Penalties: Ratcliffe 40.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Hardbottle, Lineham.

Sent off: None.


Doncaster: Tony Miller, Michael Butterfield, Aaron Henry, Chris Spurr, Shaun Leaf, Scott Wilson, Simon Brown, Craig Fawcett, Gary Ellery, Paul Hughes, Liam Crawley, Scott Watson, Ryan Steen, Rob Lunt.

Subs (all used): Jack Ely, Tommy Griffiths, Aaron Dobek, Ben Jones.

Tries: Lunt 16, Leaf 36, Spurr 69.

Conversions: Brown 16, 36.

Drop goals: None.

Penalties: None.

Sin-binned: Brown.

Sent off: None.


Knights’ man of the match: Danny Ratcliffe – at the heart of all of the Knights’ good attacking play.

Referee: Tim Roby (St Helens).

Rating: Struggled to maintain control when the two sides were increasingly fractious in the second period.

Attendance: 735.

Half-time: 14-12.

Penalty count: 8-16.

Weather: Sunny, but somewhat breezy.

Game-breaker: Luke Hardbottle’s sin-binning just after the break could have crushed the Knights but, instead, they produced their best rugby.

Move of the match: Ratcliffe and Waterman combined, the latter providing a great off-load, for Lineham to score the first of his hat-trick.

Match rating: Fast play, brawls and great tries – a stellar day’s entertainment.