UNBELIEVABLE is the only word to describe the crazy goings-on at Huntington Stadium yesterday.

York City Knights charged to the top of LHF Healthplan National League Two with a sensational 74-12 sledgehammering of previously undefeated Dewsbury, a victory so stunning that fans didn't know whether to celebrate or slap themselves out of a dream.

It wasn't just an excellent win, it was a record win for the new club -- and against a side featuring four players who were plying their trade in Super League last year, a side who are many people's title favourites.

Defensively York were superb, shutting the Rams down and pulling off desperate tackles on the rare occasions a chink appeared, while in attack they found gaps, punched holes and constantly kicked the Rams door down.

In fact, rather than read on, just think up your own superlatives and describe the performance thus.

It would be foolish, of course, to get carried away. But, blimey, if you can't be optimistic today when can you be? That's four wins on the trot now and each one better than the last.

Coach Mick Cook, however, is keeping a cool head. He quickly pointed out room for improvement, not least for Dewsbury's two tries when full-back Darren Rogers found big gaps to cross, and also reiterated that consistency is the key -- nobody wins the next match by playing well the previous week.

But enough of that. Let's just get carried away for a while - Cook's men scored a club record 13 tries for heaven's sake.

There are, however, two downsides to this. Firstly, people may unrealistically expect more of the same every week, and, secondly, there is not enough room in this report to describe each try in the detail it deserves.

The superb Dan Potter led the way with a hat-trick, beginning the try-scoring thanks to the kind of football skills York City could have done with this season. The centre chased on to Scott Rhodes' low kick, then dribbled the ball past two defenders before plunging on to it to score.

Rhodes' next kick looked suspiciously miss-hit but ended up being pinpoint as it landed in between the chasers and defending winger Ian Preece, with the jet-heeled Peter Fox getting there first, wrestling off Preece and sprinting home.

In between times, superb full-back Jon Liddell provided evidence for the Knights' defence with a try-saving tackle on Wayne McHugh, then helping to force a knock-on close to his own line. Liddell had opened the scoring with a penalty and went on to bag ten conversions.

Chris Levy also had his kicking boots on, using them to set up the next two tries. A clever grubber bounced off a post for Lee Jackson to put down, then a perfect through ball allowed Potter to out-sprint Ryan Sheridan.

Then came the most eye-catching try of the season. Dewsbury were pressing inside the home ten only for Ian Kirke to pick off a pass and show stunning leg speed for a back-rower to out-sprint rival wingers all the way home. And against the club that let him go in the off-season.

York were playing some scintillating rugby, yet also scored the simple tries too as back-to-form prop Yusuf Sozi blasted over either side of half-time, his first score rounding off the most complete 40 minutes of York rugby seen for donkeys years.

Paradoxically, the Rams started the second period better, but conceded seven tries in the half, one more than in the first.

Great hands ended with Neil Law crossing, Kirke stretched out an unlikely arm for his second, and then galloped away on another interception, this time letting Fox do the legwork with a 40-metre sprint to the sticks for his 12th try in eight games.

Kirke's next break ended with Dave Mycoe holding him down and being sin-binned for a professional foul. Two more cards followed a minute later, as Warren Jowitt was so displeased by Rhodes' try that he started throwing punches, with Simon Friend hitting him back, both being binned.

Potter soon completed his treble from Jackson's pass and Matt Blaymire marked his return with the final try on the hooter to round off the most remarkable of victories.

Match facts

LHF National League Two

Sunday, April 24, 2005

at Huntington Stadium

Knights: Liddell 9, Blaymire 8, Potter 10, Law 8, Fox 9, Rhodes 9, Levy 9, Smith 9, Jackson 8, Sullivan 9, Friend 9, Kirke 10, Paterson 9. Subs (all used): Elston 9, Callaghan 8, Ramsden 8, Sozi 9.

Tries: Potter 8, 22, 73; Fox 16, 66; Jackson 20; Kirke 26, 61; Sozi 32, 48; Law 52; Rhodes 69; Blaymire 80.

Conversions: Liddell 8, 16, 20, 22, 26, 32, 48, 66, 73, 80.

Penalties: Liddell 6.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Friend 69.

Sent off: None.

Rams: Rogers, Williamson, McHugh, Crouthers, Preece, Maloney, Sheridan, M Walker, Chapman, Hawksley, Bretherton, Jowitt, Rudder. Subs (all used): Mycoe, Henderson, J Walker, Woodcock.

Tries: Rogers 38, 56. Conversions: Maloney 38, 56. Penalties: None. Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Mycoe 68; Jowitt 69. Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Ian Kirke - punched holes in the Dewsbury defence throughout the game and scored an astonishing length-of-the-field try to cap a display which had to be truly wonderful to top those of his team-mates.

Referee: Ronnie Laughton (Barnsley). Rating: Impressive.

Penalty count: 14-7.

HT: 38-6.

Gamebreaker: The whistle that started the game. After that there was only one team in it.

Attendance: 2,056.

Weather watch: The start of summer.

Match rating: Rotten for Rams fans but truly brilliant for the Knights. The sun shone and the whole place was smiling.

Updated: 10:00 Monday, April 25, 2005