JAMES FORD felt that York City Knights’ 28-4 defeat at Halifax was “a long way off the standards that we are willing to accept.”

York were beaten for the third successive time in the Betfred Championship against dominant hosts at the Shay.

The four points scored by York means that Ford’s side have now scored just 14 points in their three league games.

“Overall I thought that we were poor, I thought the officials were average and I thought that Halifax were pretty good,” surmised head coach Ford.

“They ran harder than us and they tackled harder than us and (they were) 18-0 up at half-time.

“For their second try, I think that their winger is probably two or three metres offside. It’s a stone's throw and five metres from the touch judge so I don’t know how he’s not seen that.

“And we’ve had a couple of good opportunities that we haven’t taken.

“(Lewis) Carr has done well but not quite finished it off, (Will) Jubb got (called for) a double movement over the line and got held up as well.

“So although we weren’t at our very best, we could have gone in at half-time within touching distance, if not in front.

“Then obviously Jimmy Keinhorst had a couple of opportunities in the second half, when they’ve dropped the ball and we’ve picked it up and then he’s dropped it.

“We’re disappointed with what we served and we’ve got to focus on us and we’ve got to be better than that.

“Having said that, if we’d have taken our opportunities we’d have been there or thereabouts.

“I thought that Sam Scott was our best player today. He had a real dig and caused them some problems.

“He was aggressive and the rest of us need to get to where Scotty is at because that is a long way off the standards that we are willing to accept.”

Ford called for his squad to show “resolve and character” in their search for a first league win of the season.

That bid continues next weekend at home to London Broncos, though their could be yet more injury concerns after hooker Kriss Brining missed the second half after a head knock.

“Kriss has got a concussion,” Ford explained. "Things weren’t going to plan for us and when you lose an interchange through a concussion, it made things even tougher.

“But, you don’t get it your own way all the time as a player or a coach or a club.

“You’re sent testing times and you’ve got to show some resolve and some character.

“We’ve had an honest conversation in there (after the game) and I’m expecting the boys to work really hard this week and work really hard at our games as individuals and as a team and take a big step forward at the weekend against London.”