THERE are two ways you could look at this game.

On the one hand, you could be disappointed the Knights paid the price for switching off at the wrong times, shipped in 36 points and continued their winless run in the Arriva Trains Cup.

But on the other hand, you could look at the fact York scored five tries of their own and again appeared competitive for large parts of the game against another side from a higher division.

And it's not as if York can boast a good record at Post Office Road - if memories are correct, no side from the Minster city has won there since 1957, while on their last visit, two years ago, Rovers won 92-2.

Of course, to draw comparisons between the dying York Wasps and the rejuvenated Knights would not necessarily do anyone any good, but it is at least a pointer of how far the new club has come.

Nevertheless, it does seem that making that last step from being competitive to actually taking the spoils against the National League's top teams is the hardest step of all.

The Knights started well enough against Featherstone yesterday and indeed deserved to be ahead at the interval.

But a missed tackle let the hosts draw level on half-time and, as has been their wont several times this season, they switched off for a while to allow the opposition to get the upper hand. Featherstone - like Hull KR and Doncaster before them - did not need a second invitation to take advantage.

The Knights' lapse this time came immediately after the break. Indeed, their bodies might have been out on the pitch but it seemed their minds were still in the dressing room, and Rovers scored five tries to York's one in the half-hour that followed.

Hooker Richard Chapman was the main instigator, using his famed dummy to score twice in the match and set up various other attacks. But had the tackling been as good as normal - the Knights defence has rarely let them down this season - the game would, and should, have been tighter.

That defence had been strong enough in the first quarter of an hour as the Knights enjoyed a sixth-minute lead given to them by Trevor Krause, who ducked and fought his way over from acting-half, Graeme Hallas converting.

Featherstone were not playing like the team that knocked a highly-fancied Leigh side out of the Challenge Cup last week, with several unforced errors putting them on the back foot.

But they got back on terms when Chapman threw the first of his dummies and then stepped through the gap, Stuart Dickens converting.

Nevertheless, York were still shading the first half and they went back ahead when Krause copied Chapman and dummied his own way through. The Aussie, playing at hooker in the absence of the injured Lee Jackson, had a fine game, making good yards around the ruck, and he got his reward with the first two tries of his York career.

But the lead did not last long as a missed tackle by Gavin Molloy allowed Danny Seal to romp home from 30 yards just before the hooter.

The second half began as the first had finished, with Rovers crossing the whitewash down the right. Yes, York were guilty of slacking off but Fev did look a better side after the break, and that showed as Jamie Stokes finished off a fine move.

Ten minutes later, Chapman set up Richard Agar to cross again. Carl Briggs, who had missed a sitter in between the two tries, added both conversions and did likewise to his own try four minutes later.

York then risked a short restart but the lively Chris Smith got to the bounce first and made good yards and, after Rovers had lost more ground after being offside, Scott Fletcher made the most of it to get through on the left.

But any hopes of a comeback were dashed as, five minutes later, Stokes bounced through three defenders to reach over in the right corner.

Referee Steve Nicholson, who had not been York's best ally at Doncaster a fortnight ago, did not play as controversial a role this time.

However, he again did not appear keen to award the Knights penalties for interference at play-the-balls and on two occasions when he instead awarded a knock-on to Rovers, the hosts had taken advantage to score tries.

They took similar advantage when he then awarded Rovers a penalty for - guess what - interference at a play-the-ball, with Chapman jinking through more sloppy defending.

Briggs converted before York - just as they had done last week - hit back with two tries in the last ten minutes.

Smith's fine break was continued by Krause then Richie Hayes, with Mark Cain feeding old pal Darren Callaghan to drive over. Then Damien Kennedy galloped 50 yards before passing to Smith, who spun a tackle and crashed over to make the scoreline a bit more realistic.

Rovers: Graham, Stokes, O'Meara, Brown, Flynn, Agar, Briggs, Molyneux, Chapman, Dickens, Dooler, Rice, Seal.

Subs (all used): McNally, Bailey, Tonks, Jowitt.

Tries: Chapman 18, 69; Seal 40; Stokes 42, 63; Agar 52; Briggs 56.

Cons: Dickens 18; Briggs 52, 56, 69.

Pens: None.

DG: None.

Sin-bin: None.

Sent off: None.

Knights: Beever 6, Smith 8, Hallas 5, Callaghan 6, Molloy 5, Firth 6, Yeaman 6, Hayes 7, Krause 8, Bolus 7, Kennedy 6, Fletcher 7, Cain 6.

Subs (all used): Gallagher 7, Westmoreland 6, Stannard 6, Robinson 6.

Tries: Krause 6, 34; Fletcher 58; Callaghan 73; Smith 77.

Cons: Hallas 6.

Pens: None.

DG: None.

Sin-bin: None.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Trevor Krause - Good yards from acting-half and two tries. Filled the shoes of Lee Jackson admirably.

Updated: 11:34 Monday, February 17, 2003