Injury-hit York City Knights fall to 44-14 defeat at Featherstone Rovers

York were well in the game by half-time and trailed by just four points after a competitive first 40 minutes.

But the Knights lost three players around the game’s midpoint and second-placed Featherstone showed plenty of their evident quality in both attack and defence.

The Rovers, who are harbouring serious ambitions of a place in Super League next year, won the second half 26-0 and did not even hit their top gears, with errors commonplace in their forays forward.

For York, the story of their season was seen on the field. Injuries to the spine of their team has prevented the progress and results they would have liked this year.

And here they saw four players leave the field hurt and a couple more carry on with evident problems during the 80 minutes.

Injury had also forced the Knights into one of their pre-match alterations. The fit-again Adam Cuthbertson replaced the injured Danny Kirmond while Perry Whiteley made way for the returning Ryan Atkins.

Featherstone meanwhile made just one change to their 17 as Luke Cooper replaced Junior Moors in the forward pack.

The Knights made the perfect start and opened the scoring after just two minutes. After Ben Blackmore knocked on an early wide shift, Brendan O’Hagan launched a looping cut-out pass and Ben Jones-Bishop dived in at the corner.

Just five minutes later and the same pairing of O’Hagan and Jones-Bishop doubled York’s lead. Back-to-back penalties put York in striking range and Sam Scott’s wonderful offload close to the line allowed O’Hagan to assist another Jones-Bishop score by the corner post.

Despite York’s terrific start, Featherstone were right back in the contest after a clinical attacking set. On the back of a six-again call, they marched forward and made significant metres with every carry. Ben Blackmore then provided the finish in the corner from Kris Welham’s pass.

Craig Hall did what Matty Marsh was twice unable to do and converted from the touchline - his first of six goals from eight attempts.

To this point, all of York’s best attacking work had come through O’Hagan so it was then a worry to see him keenly look towards his previously injured hamstring shortly and then defend on the wing after a misjudged long kick fell straight to Alex Walker.

Featherstone took full advantage and it was fast hands near the line that saw James Harrison - who will play for Warrington next year - get through a gap from James Lockwood’s pass.

The Rovers were down to the 12 men when Dane Chisholm planted a high shot on O’Hagan but the Knights themselves look light on half-back involvement as O’Hagan continued to appear hampered by injury.

York did though manage to make their numerical superiority count when Marsh dummied his way over from close range after O’Hagan’s kick won a drop-out.

Corey Johnson took over the kicking duties and added the extras from in front of the posts.

From the restart, James McDonnell failed to gather Hall’s dribbling kick but Blackmore knocked on again by the flank with the try-line begging.

The Knights had the chance to add to their two-point lead before half-time, when Johnson’s grubber forced a drop-out, but the half later knocked on cheaply from a pass.

Featherstone capitalised seconds before the break when Alex Walker leapt high to ground Chisholm’s bomb near the posts.

York’s half ended sourly too after Kriss Brining went off with what appeared like a recurrence of the hamstring injury that has kept him for much of the year.

Marsh also went down holding his stomach but he stayed on the field. Regardless, once again injuries were hitting York’s spine, which has been the story of the 2021 season.

James Ford had more injury concerns to deal with when Tim Spears went off in some discomfort shortly after the restart.

Featherstone continued to press on and they further added to their lead with two quick-fire scores, both created by Chisholm.

First the former NRL half-back delayed a short pass for Walker to bag his second try and then he smarty grubber-kicked to the left corner and Hall was on hand to provide the finish while unopposed.

Injury worries continued to strike York in unprecedented numbers even in this injury-riddled season.

Adam Cuthbertson went off while clutching his side, Corey Johnson seemed to pick up a hamstring problem when he went to ground untouched from an intercept and O’Hagan went down holding his knee and looked in serious discomfort.

The latter followed another try for Hall, with the winger again collecting a Chisholm pass as Featherstone smartly sent to the ball to flank.

York just about survived a follow-up attack by the Rovers, who were given a six-again deep in Knights territory, only for Gadwin Springer to knock on a player later.

It was only a matter of time before they were in again though. Hall continued to add to his personal points tally as he gleefully took a loose ball down the left and raced to the line.

As the clock ticked down, York continued to plug away in pursuit of points, even with bodies falling around them.

O’Hagan eventually left the field and York’s other half Johnson continued to hobble around the field.

In the final ten minutes, Hall managed to score his fourth try. An unlikely source, Brett Ferres, supplied the kick that won a drop-out and again the Rovers charged down the right with numbers and Hall in position to ground.

Thankfully for York, that was the final Featherstone try, capping a win that had long seemed like theirs.

Featherstone: Walker, Blackmore, Welham, Hardcastle, Hall, Chisholm, Brown, Harrison, Jones, Lockwood, Halton, Ferres, Field.

Subs (all used): Parata, Cooper, Davies, Springer.

Tries: Blackmore (12), Harrison (20), Walker (38, 45), Hall (48, 56, 63, 71)

Goals: Hall (6/8)

Sin bins: Chisholm (24)

York: Marsh, Hall, Dow-Nikau, Atkins, Jones-Bishop, O’Hagan, Johnson, Teanby, Jubb, R. Dixon, Scott, McDonnell, Clarkson.

Subs (all used): Cuthbertson, Brining, Baldwinson, Spears.

Tries: Jones-Bishop (3, 7), Marsh (32)

Goals: Marsh (0/2), Johnson (1/1)

York’s man of the match: Jordan Baldwinson. Worked tirelessly off the forwards bench with his carries forward.