Sheffield Eagles 36, York City Knights 4

The Knights lost 36-4 at Sheffield Eagles last night and by not finishing within 12 points of the victors they missed out on the bonus point that would have guaranteed progression.

It comprehensively ended York’s 100 per cent record under new player-boss Chris Thorman and, while they stay second in pool ‘B’ today, three teams can now leapfrog them tomorrow into the three qualifying spots below group winners Sheffield.

Leigh, who are two points behind, would go second if, as expected, they win at Gateshead, while Hunslet and Barrow, who are three points in arrears, would go above York on points-difference if they beat Doncaster and Whitehaven respectively.

York had gone into the game on plus-23 but their points-difference now stands at minus-nine. Hunslet’s is currently plus-four and Barrow’s is minus-nine.

Finishing fifth would end an encouraging Northern Rail Cup campaign on a low note – and leave the Knights paying for only a narrow win over minnows Gateshead last week.

Last night’s game was York’s hardest task of the year so far against last season’s Championship grand finalists. And it was probably the biggest pointer towards the standard the Knights will need to match when the league season starts next week.

York lost 52-18 at Sheffield in the last game of last season under Dave Woods so, on scorelines alone, the Knights have progressed a tad.

That said, the Eagles were not clinical in the first half this time, coughing up possession more than coach Mark Aston would have liked. The second half, though, was all theirs.

York, for their part, were without their two main leaders, player-coach Thorman and fellow former international Paul King – and, boy, were they missed.

Thorman has a sternum problem, but is confident of being fit for next week’s Championship opener against Dewsbury. He had kept his injury quiet, though the inclusion of understudy stand-off Brett Turner in his 20-man squad was a clue.

Prop idol King has an elbow injury picked up against Gateshead.

Also out were Brooke Broughton, due to a dead leg, and James Haynes, who again failed a fitness test.

York had looked sure to go ahead after ten minutes as two men raced on to a clever kick by scrum-half Jordan Tansey but it bobbled awkwardly and Rhys Clarke could not touch it down.

Last week Clarke was up against his brother, Ryan, playing for Gateshead. This week sibling rivalry was in the Smith household of Dringhouses, with Knights second-row Ed facing Sheffield hooker Pat.

The latter was a substitute – he did well when he came on – and had not yet entered the fray when a missed tackle by teenager Ed handed the hosts a scoring opportunity. Joe Hirst, who had made the break, wasted it with a forward pass.

However, the Eagles were soon ahead as winger Nev Morrison evaded tackles by Tom Bush and Turner by the right flag. Simon Brown booted the first of his six conversions.

The Knights were 12 points behind on 23 minutes when another missed tackle on half-way was punished, Dom Brambani finishing the move.

They could have narrowed the gap on the half-hour mark when, from a scrum, James Ford arced around his man down the left but, rather than back himself to reach the line 20 metres out, he tried to slip out a pass to his winger, Bush, and it went dead.

The Knights, aided at times by home errors, had got down to the danger end a few times in the first half but they lacked the creativity to break down the solid home wall – until they finally got on the scoreboard when Jack Lee smartly went down the short side and sent in Clarke. Thorman had considered resting his fellow Geordie last night but was probably glad he didn’st.

Aston had said beforehand that Knights assistant-coach Mick Cook – his former number two – would know all about the Eagles’ dangermen, but questioned whether York could stop the threat.

He was talking about power-packed centre Menzie Yere as much as anyone, and the visitors could not handle him as he scored superbly down the left, the culmination of early second-half home pressure.

He also sucked in defenders to help set up a second try for Brambani on the end of a kick by Brown.

The Knights barely got in the match thereafter and it was game over when Duane Straugheir – who left York in the winter – crossed with 13 minutes left, followed by Misi Talupapa.

match facts

Sheffield Eagles 36, York City Knights 4

Sheffield: Laulu-Togagae, Finigan, Yere, Talupapa, Morrison, Brown, Brambani, Howieson, Henderson, Stringer, Szostak, P Green, Hirst. Subs (all used): P Smith, Hepworth, Straugheir, Rowe.
Tries: Morrison 15; Brambani 23, 62; Yere 48; Straugheir 67, Talupapa 73.
Conversions: Brown 15, 23, 48, 62, 67, 73.
Penalties: None.
Drop goals: None.
Sin-binned: None.
Sent off: None.

Knights: Hellewell 6, Elliott 7, Ford 6, Garside 6, Bush 6, Turner 6, Tansey 7, Sullivan 7, Lee 7, Houston 6, Clarke 7, E Smith 6, Aldous 7. Subs (all used): Brining, C Green 6, Haughey 6, Benson 7.
Try: Clarke 35.
Conversions: None.
Penalties: None.
Drop goals: None.
Sin-binned: None.
Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Jack Aldous – worked hard at loose-forward and not frightened to tackle the bigger men around him.

Referee: Robert Hicks (Oldham) – good.

Penalty count: 6-4.

Attendance: 725.

Half-time: 12-4.

Weather: pleasant, if nippy, evening.

Moment of the match: Rhys Clarke's first-half try after clever work at dummy-half by Jack Lee.

Gaffe of the match: Jordan Tansey spilled the second-half kick-off and this set up a period totally dominated by the Eagles.

Gamebreaker: Sheffield’s second try of the second half made it 24-4.

Match rating: the first half was reasonably even but the second was too one-sided.