CHIEF executive Steve Ferres lauded York City Knights' young supporters as yesterday's family fun day at Huntington Stadium saw a bumper 2,519 fans watch the Knights beat Gateshead 48-12.

It was the club's biggest-ever league attendance, their biggest of the year in all competitions, and second-biggest since their reincarnation last year, the record gate being the 3,105 that saw the club's first-ever game, an Arriva Trains Cup tie, against Hull KR.

It was also the highest National League gate of the weekend and the biggest league gate for a York RL home game since the old Ryedale-York club lost 30-12 to Dewsbury in January 1993 in front of 2,558 in the old third division.

A big bulk of the crowd were made up of children who had responded to the Knights' recent marketing push in schools.

Ferres told the Evening Press: "The gate speaks for itself. We haven't yet got a final figure on the number of kids but it is testimony to the fine work (development officer) Jason Ramshaw has done in the short time he's been at the club."

The Knights had distributed several thousand free tickets to schools and while this obviously had a positive effect on the gate, Ferres was delighted with the response.

"It probably went above expectation," he said. "It was a fantastic day out and hopefully we can repeat the occasion. We would have been delighted to get 2,000 but 2,500 is 25 per cent higher than we thought we would get and we'd like to thank everyone who came along.

"It will be interesting to see how many turn up next week for the Swinton game."

Knights coach Richard Agar was also delighted with the attendance, but was less pleased with his side's second-half performance in which they blew the chance of racking up a massive score and bolstering their points-difference.

"It was a marvellous turnout," he said. "I wish we could have given them the try-fest they perhaps anticipated at half-time.

"But the fans were great. It was a great atmosphere and brilliant to see so many kids. It gives everyone a lift.

"We got 1,500 on a Wednesday the last time we played Gateshead, at Bootham Crescent, and we got 2,500 yesterday, and those gates are excellent."

The win lifted the Knights up to third in the NL2 table but they remained behind Barrow and Hunslet on points-difference and Agar was disappointed not to have scored 60 or 70 against the basement club.

He said: "In the first half we were great. There were one or two things but we had possession and we played exceptionally well and defended well.

"But in the second half we were very disappointing. We had a 22 per cent completion rate in that half and the next time we do that we'll get beat.

"It was a lack of respect. Whether the players thought the game was in the bag I don't know. I still thought we defended all right but any team which continually turns the ball over will eventually concede tries.

"At 32-0, we started the second half as we meant to go on - by coughing up our first three sets, one of which was by dropping the ball over the try-line.

"We should have had 60 or 70 points with the chances we created but we came up short.

"Our completion rate was the worst of the season by far. We've usually been about 80 per cent and I don't think we've dropped much under 70 barring the Hunslet defeat, yet overall today it was about 40-plus per cent.

"We spent the entire second half defending - the players must want the tackling practice, but it's not what you want to be doing on a red hot day like yesterday.

"At 32-0 there was not going to be a comeback, but credit to Gateshead, they never gave in, tried to play football and threw the ball about."

He added: "We've been disappointed with a couple of wins this year which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We were never in danger of losing and our disappointment is maybe a mark of what's expected of us."

Updated: 11:11 Monday, May 24, 2004