YORK City Knights secured back-to-back wins in the Betfred Championship by overcoming Dewsbury Rams 30-20 at the Tetley’s Stadium.

Here are five things we learnt from the Knights’ latest victory.

1. Winning tight matches remains a hallmark of this York City Knights team

Back in 2019 - however long ago that now feels amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic - York made it a habit of theirs to be able to come out on top in tight matches.

The run-in to the eventual third-placed finish they managed saw them win seven of their last nine matches. The biggest margin of victory from those wins was eight points, against Barrow Raiders.

They twice won by a single point, against Leigh Centurions and Bradford Bulls, and the win over Featherstone Rovers to seal a play-off place was claimed by a 22-18 scoreline.

Having showcased their offensive capabilities in a 64-16 thrashing of Swinton Lions, the Knights backed this up by displaying a different aspect of their game against Dewsbury.

Twice they found themselves behind in the contest before showing character to rally back. It was not until the dying minutes when Matty Marsh bagged his second try that victory was confirmed.

The ability to win games late on and to constantly find ways to win remains in this York side and that may well prove to be vital towards the business end of the season.

2. Dewsbury Rams appear to be the gate-keepers of the Championship

To use boxing parlance, Dewsbury could be fairly summarised as gate-keepers of the division. They appear likely to come unstuck against some of the Championship’s bigger hitters, as witnessed in defeats to York and Bradford over the past fortnight.

But they appear stronger placed than some of the sides below them in the league table and look more than capable of springing an upset or two, as proved by their shock win at Widnes Vikings.

In Liam Finn and Paul Sykes, they have two experienced halves with strong kicking games, which they are allowed to utilise thanks to a strong pack including Jon Magrin and Chris Annakin, who were both excellent against the Knights.

Any team that head to the Tetley’s Stadium and take the Rams lightly will likely come away empty-handed.

3. Selection headaches at half-back...

Brendan O’Hagan looks set to return to the fold when York host Featherstone on Sunday after his hamstring injury. The half-back has been mightily impressive in his first few appearances and looks like the Knights’ organiser after Connor Robinson’s off-season departure.

Should he return this weekend, who drops out? If Marsh goes back to full-back, would Connor Wynne miss out after contributing two brilliant assists against Dewsbury? The Hull FC loanee has also looked pretty assured at the back too.

Marsh himself was excellent at Swinton and bagged two tries at Dewsbury in support play.

His fellow half Riley Dean also laid on a try for Ryan Atkins with a quality grubber and he looks a real dangerous running threat on the left edge. He was slightly guilty of a couple of forward passes when forcing the issue and his tendency to look to run past markers on the last play can sometimes be read by opposition.

The Warrington Wolves youngster is such an exciting talent though and his unpredictability gives another dimension to York’s attack.

There is also the small matter of having Hull Kingston Rovers half-back loanee Joe Keyes potentially fit again soon. He suffered a back injury before the trip to Swinton and was not in the squad to play Dewsbury.

Of course, these are great problems for head coach James Ford to have, especially when preparing to face Championship leaders Featherstone.

4. ... and at hooker

As well as O’Hagan, hooker Kriss Brining is also scheduled to feature against Featherstone, having missed out since limping off in the season opener at Sheffield Eagles in the Betfred Challenge Cup.

Brining should bring in some pace and running threat from dummy-half to the Knights team and complement the organising of usual starter, Will Jubb.

Against Dewsbury, Jubb was forced off early with a head knock, meaning that Danny Washbrook stood in for a solid hour.

Whether the Knights number nine is fit enough to face Featherstone remains to be seen. If so, another selection dilemma awaits Ford.

5. The influence of Adam Cuthbertson continues to grow

Perhaps the most high-profile of all of York’s off-season signings was Adam Cuthbertson from Leeds Rhinos.

Arriving with a big reputation after a trophy-laden spell with the Rhinos, he has made a great start to life at the Knights.

At Dewsbury, his strong carry and quick play-the-ball preceded the Atkins try while his decoy run was key to Marcus Stock’s score.