IF the watching Gary Thornton wasn’t aware of the size of the task facing him at York City Knights he is under no illusions now.

This was a calamitous defeat for the team he will lead next season – a 46-24 loss at Keighley Cougars which was both dispiriting and damaging.

Having worked on defence all week, according to assistant-coach Mick Ramsden before the game, the Knights shipped nine tries, some so basic it is hard to say whether you would have seen such slapdash play at schoolboy level.

Caught out positionally, beaten countlessly in one-on-ones and with missed tackles across the park, Keighley were able to run riot without ever really getting into top gear.

The loss of skipper James Ford, who turned an ankle towards the end of the first half, hardly helped with the Cougars going profitably, and relentlessly, down the left side of the Knights defence after the break.

But defeat was also down to attitude, heart and desire and, with players performing for contracts next season as the new broom watched from the stands, it was a desperately disappointing performance.

What was worse was that until some familiar failings returned, the Knights were actually the better side in the early stages.

Player-boss Chris Thorman threw new recruit Ollie Olds, on dual- registration terms from Leeds Rhinos, straight into the action despite the 18-year-old having precious little experience of senior rugby league.

Having impressed for Wales in their recent international against France, and with few other options, Olds joined Thorman in yet another half-back combination.

And York began the better.

Four minutes were on the clock when John Davies broke through the midfield and it took a superb covering tackle from Gavin Duffy to prevent Ford blitzing through on the left.

A similarly cutting edge move brought the Knights their try four minutes later. A clever pass from Thorman found Ed Smith bursting through a gap on the right.

He swept down the outside before popping a little pass into Matt Garside, who had an easy passage to the line.

It threatened to get better on the quarter-hour mark when Jack Aldous appeared to touch down a little kick through from Thorman, on the last tackle, to extend the Knights lead.

But the try was wiped out by the linesman – judging that Aldous had been offside as Thorman delivered his grubber.

It was a pivotal moment because things went down hill immediately afterwards.

Poor tackling allowed Jy-mel Coleman to cruise through a massive gap just after halfway and he drove forward and fed Danny Jones, who then supplied Danny Lawton with the easiest of passes to cross on the left-hand side.

Three minutes later, Keighley were ahead.

Garside, the York try scorer, was the villain – his missed tackle on Craig Moss, who was going sideways, allowing the full-back to turn sharply back inside and get to the line.

Defensively, the Knights were all over the place.

Only a suicide forward pass from James Feather, who had wandered through yet another big hole in the Knights cover, prevented Jones from getting on the scoresheet.

But that was only delaying the inevitable.

It came on 26 minutes. A Knights knock-on gave Keighley the ball ten metres out and they worked it right – former York boss Paul March supplying Richie Barnett – for the easiest of scores in the corner.

Semi Tadulala extended the Cougars’ lead on 34 minutes and, when Gavin Duffy touched down from another March kick with 60 seconds left in the first-half – after Tom Bush criminally delayed dropping on the ball, York were 24-6 adrift.

The Knights made a brief effort to resist.

Kris Brining reduced the deficit nine minutes after the break, twisting and turning two defenders close to the line before touching the ball down.

Normal service was soon resumed, however. Three minutes later, Moss collected his second try – profiting after a barnstorming run from Feather rocked the Knights on their heels.

Sam Obst was then the catalyst for a further Keighley score, his clever kick releasing Barnett, who scored after using good footballing skills to deftly nudge the ball over the line and collapse on it.

Against the run of play, Dario Esposito brought the Knights their third try with a brave surge just after the hour mark.

It was no more than a consolation.

Keighley crowned their display with their best try of the match on 68 minutes, Barnett running in for his hat-trick after a sumptuous move began with another Obst kick, and great handling from Duffy – tight on the right touchline – to give the space for him to profit.

With the Knights now looking dispirited, Duffy pounced on more indecision and loose play to sprint home in the right corner on 73 minutes.

And although George Elliott ran in as the hooter sounded, after a neat Davies break, to give York a fourth try there was no celebration.

The Knights knew they had been trounced.

Match facts

Keighley: Craig Moss, Gavin Duffy, Richie Barnett, Danny Lawton, Semi Tadulala, Danny Jones, Sam Obst, Brendon Rawlins, James Feather, Neil Cherryholme, Ollie Pursglove, Jamie Shepherd, Jy-mel Coleman.

Subs (all used): Jamaine Wray, Paul March, Michael Korkidas, Andy Shickell.

Tries: Lawton 16; Moss 19, 52; Barnett 26, 56, 68; Tadulala 34; Duffy 39, 73.

Conversions: Lawton 19, 34, 52, 56, 68.

Knights: Tom Bush 5, Waine Pryce 5, James Ford 6, Matt Garside 5, George Elliott 6, Chris Thorman 6, Ollie Olds 6, Adam Sullivan 5, Jack Lee 5, Jack Aldous 5, John Davies 6, Ed Smith 6, Paul King 6.

Subs (all used): Kris Brining 6, Tyler Craig 6, Nathan Freer 6, Dario Esposito 6.

Tries: Garside 8; Brining 49; Esposito 61; Elliott 80.

Conversions: Thorman 8, 49, 61, 80.

Man of the match: Kris Brining – worked hard, scored a determined try, and a plus in an otherwise forgettable York display.

Referee: Ronnie Laughton (Barnsley). Rating: Largely anonymous, which is how games should be refereed.

Penalties: 6-4.

Attendance: 972.

Weather: Cloudy with sunny spells.

Half-time: 24-6.

Moment of the match: York’s first try, a lovely move between Thorman, Smith and Garside, was one of the few occasions the visitors put together a potent attacking combination.

Gamebreaker: The linesman’s decision to rob Jack Aldous of a try, and the Knights a double-digit advantage, turned the match on its head.

Match rating: More woe for the Knights, who weren’t up to the task.