YORK City Knights were keen to put the record straight against a Widnes side who, two months ago, had inflicted upon them a record league defeat.

And put the record straight they did – but not quite in the way they deserved as they again lost but only by 22-18 to earn plaudits from supporters, which lifted spirits, and a bonus point, which lifted them off the foot of the Championship.

Knights coach Dave Woods had said that 76-12 result in April was freakish, a poor York display being punished by a buoyant Vikings club who had just learned they’d won a top-tier licence. His team could turn Widnes over, he said, notwithstanding their lowly position and the Cheshire outfit’s designs on the grand final.

That they didn’t effectively came down to three errors amid a big-hearted display that deserved so much more.

Firstly, Anthony Thackeray, against his former club, reacted to some goings-on in the tackle, and gave away possession and a penalty, following which Kurt Haggerty scored an equaliser.

Then, just before half-time, Widnes won a scrum against the head – a rarity in rugby league – and battering ram Macgraff Leuluai scored a second equaliser, Haggerty adding both goals.

Thirdly, just after half-time, Dave Sutton lost possession cheaply 15 metres from his own line and Dom Crosby gave the visitors a lead they did not relinquish, Steve Tyrer goaling.

Only the last of Widnes’ four tries, therefore, was all their own work, when Tangi Ropati made it 22-12 after 56 minutes.

However, to dwell on those errors would detract from all the good things Woods’ men did. Even Denis Betts, Widnes’ coach, seemed relieved to come away with a fifth consecutive win.

Referee Craig Halloran was unwittingly the centre of attention in the opening quarter.

On the advice of a hapless touch judge, he sin-binned Matt Garside one minute into the game after a shoulder charge on kicker Chaz I’Anson.

And midway through the half he handed Widnes the chance to equalise by penalising Thackeray’s aforementioned retaliation.

York had defended excellently up until then, even when a man down, and had deservedly taken the lead through the youngest gun in a team of young-guns, Ed Smith.

The 18-year-old, relegated to the bench after two starts, was only on the field as second-row Duane Straugheir was in the blood-bin, and, with his first touch, he found a huge gap to streak home from a Thackeray pass. Straugheir, it must be added, was a pummelling force when back on.

Thackeray was also involved as York retook the lead. His cute pass was taken, in fine style, by Ryan Esders, who somehow got an offload out of the tackle to give Ben Jones an easy finish.

Esders went on to give a man-of-the-match display after being picked at centre, Woods having made a few changes to his line-up, with Sutton switching from centre to wing, and Jack Stearman replaced as replacement prop by Steve Lewis, leaving Jones as the only out-and-out front-rower on the bench, with Stearman and Brett Waller 18th and 19th men.

The idea was to bring more mobility to the front row, which worked predominantly because of big battling stints from Alex Benson and Nathan Freer.

Widnes also looked considerably flatter than two months ago, and, although they equalised again, every other sniff was repelled as excellent tackles abounded. The pick was arguably Tom Bush’s cover tackle to knock Kevin Penny into the flag while it was still scoreless.

That defence was permeated at the start of the second half, though, by dual-registered Wigan player Crosby, Tyrer converting.

York came close to equalising when Chris Thorman ran the last tackle and Ford, with a crazy dummy down the left, made good ground, but he passed left rather than right and Sutton was swallowed up.

Instead, Widnes upped their lead.

The kicking game of I’Anson and fellow half-back James Coyle kept York pinned back at times, and the former’s clever grubber brought Ropati’s try.

But it was not game over. Smart play by half-backs Thorman, Thackeray and Jonny Presley earned York four consecutive sets in Widnes’ half, five after a high tackle.

That’s the kind of pressure Woods has been calling for, and it paid off as Benson fought over – only for Halloran to controversially rule a knock-on.

A more clear-cut decision came at the other end when Penny had a try disallowed for obstruction, and, while time was running out, Esders was not finished, getting a deserved try when bumping off his man and reaching for the line.

Bush goaled a beauty from out wide, but his poor pass from dummy-half ended York’s penultimate attack, and an unkind bobble on a frantic final attack – Thorman’s little chip saw winger James Haynes cross half-way, only for his kick ahead to evade the onrushing Thackeray – ended hopes of a thrilling victory.

Match report

Knights: Bush 7, Sutton 5, Ford 7, Esders 9, Haynes 6, Thackeray 6, Thorman 8, Freer 8, Lee 8, Benson 8, Straugheir 9, Garside 7, Clarke 7.

Subs (all used): Smith 6, Lewis 6, Presley 7, Jones 7.

Tries: Smith 13; Jones 28, Esders 74.

Conversions: Bush 13, 28, 74.

Sin-binned: Garside 1.

Widnes: Flynn, Gaskell, Ropati, Tyrer, Penny, J Coyle, I’Anson, Pickersgill, Coyle, Kavanagh, Finnigan, Leuluai, Haggerty.

Subs (all used): Gardner, Varkulis, Lunt, Crosby .

Tries: Haggerty 18; Leuluai 37; Crosby 43; Ropati 56.

Conversions: Haggerty 18, 37; Tyrer 43.

Man of the match: Ryan Esders – kept his discipline, despite provocation, and channelled aggression superbly to be a constant threat when in possession, brilliantly setting up Ben Jones’ try and scoring another himself.

Referee: Craig Halloran (Dewsbury) – decision of touch judge to sin-bin Matt Garside in the first minute was almost laughable. Not much of the officiating appeared assured thereafter.

Penalty count: 11-7.

Attendance: 1,172.

Half-time: 12-12.

Weather: horribly rainy, windy and miserable.

Moment of the match: Ryan Esders’ offload to give former Harlequins room-mate Ben Jones an easy try was right out of Super League.

Gaffe of the match: Dave Sutton had a bad day at the office, compounded by the fumble that handed Widnes cheap possession in the red zone, and a try for Dom Crosby.

Gamebreaker: it wasn’t game over, but one sensed York’s victory chances were ebbing away when Alex Benson saw his 68th-minute try controversially ruled out.

Match rating: excellent stuff given the persistent pouring rain.