Knights 29, Haven 18 (From York Press)

Knights 29, Haven 18

8:22am Monday 14th August 2006

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FORGET the Great Escape, this would be Mission Impossible.

In fact, if York City Knights do defy all logic and avoid relegation from National League One, it would be more astonishing than anything Hollywood could get away with.

Those ever-so-faint hopes were kept alive yesterday in astounding fashion with a 28-18 defeat of in-form Whitehaven.

And for scriptwriters looking for an unlikely hero, this particular chapter found one in debutant full-back Lee Mapals.

Boss Mick Cook, already without number one Matt Blaymire due to injury, learnt just two-and-a-bit hours before kick-off that winger Austin Buchanan was too ill to play, so quickly drafted Mapals in.

The thing is, the starlet had already played the first half of the Under-21s match, a curtain-raiser to the main event.

Bad injuries at bad times have played a major part in the Knights' attempt to consolidate in NL1 this year, and it was thought this would be just another untimely blow.

But this time the ending was different. The Knights, so often game losers, for once achieved the victory their efforts deserved.

They held out manfully against a team with Grand Final aspirations, forced numerous errors and were the more useful side in attack. And how fitting it was that Mapals should score the 66th-minute try that sealed the match.

His first act had been to drop a difficult kick-off which held up in the wind, and York also missed Blaymire's positional sense, but the youngster showed an eagerness and pace that belied his tender years and size - as well as fitness to get through 120 minutes.

He had been one of five changes to the team that lost so painfully to Batley seven days earlier.

Half-backs Lee Paterson and Danny Grimshaw were crocked along with Buchanan and Blaymire, while James Ward was replaced by fit-again prop Jamie Bovill, who brought added steel.

Scott Rhodes also made a welcome return from injury, while Paul Thorman was back to partner him at half-back, and Lee Lingard came in on the wing.

York were on the back foot early but sprang forward superbly as Jason Golden made the initial break and Peter Fox picked up his pass to finish superbly. Thorman added his first of three conversions.

Haven drew level as scrum-half John Duffy darted through, but then had a lucky escape as Chris Spurr had a try ruled out, Lingard having run onto Thorman's clever kick only to palm the ball slightly forward to his centre.

York made no mistake with the next chance. Rhodes, with the wind behind him, booted a huge 40-20, then fired a pass to Dan Potter on a dart to the line.

Haven should have hit back but rotund sub Neil Baynes - an old-fashioned prop if ever there was one - and Carl Rudd conspired to bomb a five-man overlap, and Thorman increased the lead with two penalty goals.

The much-maligned half-back ran the show in the first half alongside the superb Rhodes and nearly got his just deserts when held up after scything through.

All this proved, as has been the case for much of the season, that York can always break through when they attack properly.

Keeping hold of the ball has been more problematic and that trait came to the fore after the restart.

Thorman goaled a third penalty to make it 18-6, but his pass from a scrum was dropped by Lingard in front of his own posts and Aaron Lester gobbled up the chance. Two minutes later, Denny Eilbeck rounded Mapals, and Rudd's third goal levelled things.

However, in a break to the old routine, York tightened up well and, instead, it was Haven who made the errors.

Lingard made up for his gaffe when benefiting from a blunder by opposite winger Craig Calvert, who lost the ball in-goal, for a try which came a minute after Haven stand-off Leroy Joe had been sin-binned for a late tackle on Rhodes.

Then Calvert was beaten to the ball again from Jon Liddell's chip and Mapals scored to seal his sponsors' man-of-the-match gong.

Match facts

Knights: Mapals 9, Lingard 7, Spurr 8, Potter 8, Fox 8, Rhodes 9, Thorman 8, Sullivan 9, Liddell 8, Bovill 8, Golden 8, Buckley 8, Spicer 8. Subs (not used): Wray 8, Blanchard 7, Toothill 7, Law 7.

Tries: Fox 6; Potter 22; Lingard 57; Mapals 66. Conversions: Thorman 6, 22, 66. Penalties: Thorman 25, 35, 43. Drop-goals: None Sin-binned: None. Sent off: None.

Whitehaven: Broadbent, Calvert, Seeds, Eilbeck, Maden, Joe, Duffy, Fatialofa, Smith, Trindall, Lester, Leafa, Rudd. Subs (all used): Mattinson, Miller, Hill, Baynes.

Tries: Duffy 11; Lester 47; Eilbeck 49. Conversions: Rudd 11, 47, 49. Penalties: None. Drop-goals: None.

Sin-binned: Joe 56. Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Scott Rhodes - a welcome return from injury for the half-back who brings another dimension to York's attack.

Referee: Ronnie Laughton (Barnsley).

Rating: Pretty busy but without ever looking in complete control.

Penalty count: 13-8.

Attendance: 1,210.

HT: 16-6.

Weather watch: Showery rain and down-pitch wind.

Gamebreaker: Lee Mapals' try on 66 minutes took the Knights two scores in front and was the last score of the match.

Moment of the match: That Lee Mapals try capped a memorable debut and a long-awaited victory.

Match rating: A win! And a very good one, too. Very good indeed.

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