York City Knights 132, Northumbria University 0 STATISTICIANS and number crunchers would have loved being at Huntington Stadium yesterday.

Everyone present expected a big Challenge Cup win for York City Knights over the students from Northumbria University, who had reached the third round for the first time. But the manner of victory was like manna from heaven for anyone with an interest in records and abacuses, if not a love for closely-fought rugby league contests.

Chris Thorman gave those arithmetic-minded folk the most work, with four tries and 20 goals for an all-time rugby league record of 56 points in a match.

Such was the difficulty in keeping up with the scoring that his points tally was reported elsewhere as being 54, missing off one of his conversions.

Of more disappointment to Thorman, however, was the fact he could have taken the great Jim Sullivan’s all-time goals-in-a-match record of 22 which has stood since 1925. Only he missed three of his 23 conversion attempts, hitting a post with one.

Still, one all-time record and a stack of York RL bests is not a bad return, to add to his post-war Huddersfield record of 36 points in a match, against Leigh – which is the third-biggest personal haul in a Super League match – and his fastest-ever hat-trick in either code of rugby, which came in 2002, also for the Giants, against Doncaster.

Fellow half-back Jonny Presley was next up with six tries for a Knights tries-in-a-match record, albeit one short of Brad Davis’s all-time York RL record.

Five of those tries came from his superb support play and quickness of foot, while the last was an individual beauty, chipping the full-back and winning the race to the touchdown.

The rest of the team did their bit, too, as the Knights rattled up an all-time Challenge Cup record win of 132-0, amassing 23 tries in total, with 12 different players on the scoreboard.

It was harsh on Northumbria, whose reward for advancing student rugby league is to find themselves on the wrong end of records that could stand for some time.

To their credit, not once did they resort to underhand tactics to break up the Knights’ flow. It is not unknown for some, let’s say rougher, amateur teams, once tired, frustrated and beaten, to throw in an occasional high tackle, but there was none of that nonsense, and a few crates of beer on the bus home, having given up home advantage in the first place, was no less than they deserved for their efforts.

To the Knights’ credit, too, they never let their superiority waiver, as teams are wont to do in one-sided encounters, and the quality of the tries was evidence Dave Woods’ men are not far from finding form.

Obviously, next week’s Championship opener against Hunslet will be a different test altogether, but the Knights should go into that with confidence boosted.

Danny Wilson got the try-scoring underway after three minutes, from a fine miss-pass by Mark Barlow, who was in at loose-forward in a much-changed side.

Dave Sutton would have extended the lead after a speedy run but he stumbled with the try-line in sight. Sutton was excellent at centre, taking the ball up hard and making the most of open spaces.

Thorman showed the difference in class between the sides when easily stepping through – he’ll be lucky to get that room next week – and Rhys Clarke’s break saw Presley get his first try, his second coming two minutes later, after a Jack Lee run.

Sutton got his deserved try after 16 minutes, but the Knights had to wait a whole 11 minutes for their next, when a fine offload by Steve Lewis sent Presley away and this time he returned the favour for Lee to score.

Lewis went through, then Thorman turned on the burners to streak clear after a wonderful, weaving kick return by full-back Sam Lynch.

Northumbria’s best moment came with a 40-20 by half-back Richard Squires, but that came to nothing and Presley got his third and fourth tries within a minute either side of half-time, the latter finishing off fine play from Thorman, Wilson and Sutton.

Dennis Tuffour, upset not to receive scoring passes on at least two occasions, got in on the act with a superb 65-metre solo try through the middle, before fellow winger Wilson streaked down the right for his second touchdown. Paul Stamp scythed through to give Presley his fifth try, before Thorman crossed again after another good Sutton run.

Tuffour finished well again, and Duane Straugheir scored on the left after a crowd-pleasing run by prop Jack Stearman, leaving would-be tacklers sprawling, down the right.

Stamp set up Barlow and, after a rare Uni attack was snuffed out, a power play on the last tackle gave Clarke his first try for the club and the Knights the century.

Thorman crossed again, Lynch sent Barlow in, and Presley’s solo try continued the scoring spree. Teenager Ed Smith went over and Stearman ended it all in the last minute.

Match stats Knights: Lynch 7, Wilson 7, Sutton 8, Straugheir 7, Tuffour 7, Thorman 8, Presley 8, Stearman 8, Lee 7, Benson 6, Clarke 6, Lewis 7, Barlow 7. Subs (all used): Stamp 7, Smith 6, Barron 6, Burns 6.

Tries: Wilson 3, 47; Thorman 7, 34, 53, 65; Presley 11, 13, 40, 41, 49, 72; Sutton 16; Lee 27; Lewis 31; Tuffour 45, 56; Straugheir 58; Barlow 59, 69; Clarke 63; Smith 74; Stearman 79.

Conversions: Thorman 7, 11, 13, 16, 27, 31, 34, 40, 41, 45, 49, 53, 56, 59, 63, 65, 69, 72, 74, 79.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Northumbria: Ellis, Sheridan, Wilshere, Broad, Chetwynd, Whiteley, Squires, Brandt, Sargent, Sherwood, Taylor, Cash, Eyes. Subs (all used): Bradley, Phillips, Schofield, Forbes.

Tries: None.

Conversions: None.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Man of the match: Chris Thorman, for all his records.

Referee: Joe Cobb (Manchester) – okay.

Penalty count: 7-4.

Attendance: 434.

Half-time: 52-0.

Weather: bright and sunny.

Moment of the match: the work by club statistician Stuart Evans in bobbing back and forth to the press bench to confirm all the new records as they were set.

Gaffe of the match: Duane Straugheir, in the first half, and Ed Smith, in the second, both held onto the ball rather than give Dennis Tuffour a clear run to the line, much to the winger’s chagrin.

Gamebreaker: the Knights’ first try after only three minutes showed the students weren’t going to get an early sniff.

Match rating: even more one-sided than expected.