IF, as the saying goes, you can't win anything with kids, then nobody told York City Knights whose youthful side comfortably dispatched Newcastle Thunder 29-16 at Kingston Park.

York had six players in their side aged 21 or under, including two Betfred Championship debutants in Myles Harrison and Toby Warren.

The former made a stunning break for York's second try while fellow teenager Aidan McGowan scored twice himself.

After half-time Huddersfield Giants loanee provided the assist for Perry Whiteley's match-winning try after Newcastle had fought back after time.

Given that a play-offs finish is no longer possible for York this season, head coach James Ford clearly has had eye on the future in his selection as Harrison and Warren were called upon.

Harrison replaced McGowan, who moved to the bench, at full-back while Warren came in at second-row.

Once more though Ford had to make enforced changes as Will Jubb, Kieran Dixon, Jordan Baldwinson and Jack Teanby dropped out through injury.

By contrast, Newcastle bolstered the team that won at Dewsbury Rams last time out with the loan signing of Leigh’s Tom Spencer, who replaced Jay Chapelhow in their only alteration.

Despite the team news concerns, York made a lightening start to the contest when Harrison’s probing grubber forced a goal-line drop-out and they quickly capitalised.

In a play that Newcastle should really have read, Washbrook got out of dummy half and passed short for captain Chris Clarkson to breeze past the goal-line defence with barely a hand laid on him.

Rather surprisingly, Harrison took the kicking duties, in Dixon’s absence, and he scored his first of four conversions from five attempts.

Ten minutes later, Newcastle thought that they had equalised when Harrison failed to take a high challenge for the ball and Kieran Gill dotted down.

But the referee ruled for a knock on in the build-up which was a let off for the Knights. 

It did not take long for Harrison to make amends for that error. Minutes later, the 18-year-old confidently claimed a kick, raced through Newcastle’s line and fed Ben Jones-Bishop, who had the simple task of running under the sticks from halfway.

York were making plenty of metres by this point in the game but they were stung for a cheap mistake in their own half, and not for the first time in the game.

After a Knights forward pass 10m out from their own line, Newcastle quickly shifted the play to the right and Alex Clegg, who twice scored in the reverse fixture, slid over in the corner.

Josh Woods missed the subsequent conversion from the touchline.

The Knights were not deterred by that score though and continued to have most of the game’s territory.

That pressure duly told with two tries in quick succession putting the visitors firmly in front.

In his first impact off the bench, McGowan’s change of direction caught Newcastle off guard and he ran to the posts from 20m out.

Then came an even better try from the Knights. From the restart, Clarkson broke the Thunder challenges before Jones-Bishop raced to halfway.

Matty Marsh then had his hands on the ball and passed to McGowan, despite a strong suspicion that it travelled forward, who gleefully went over for his second.

In the dying stages of the half, York let Newcastle back in the game when Whiteley coughed up possession cheaply and the hosts capitalised.

This time they threw the ball to the left and Josh Johnson got over, with Woods converting before the half-time hooter.

With the words of coach Eamon O’Carroll still ringing in their ears, Newcastle came out firing after the restart.

James McDonnell was forced into a last-ditch stop to palm out a Woods grubber as the hosts piled on the pressure.

They got the breakthrough on the back of another York forward pass inside their own half. Again they ran to the left and Jake Shorrocks fed Gill’s touchdown.

Another Woods conversion left the hosts trailing by just eight points and well in the game.

Newcastle fans were celebrating another try when Johnson latched onto a Shorrocks reverse kick that York did not deal with, only for the referee to rule him as short in his dive.

But a moment of inspiration led to the Knights all but sealing the win. A fantastic chase from a Marsh kick put a Newcastle man in touch.

That gave the prime position for, just a play later, Whiteley to slide in at the corner as he dived upon McGowan’s delayed pass. From that point on, the win never looked in any doubt. Newcastle, who saw players go down injured throughout the game looked a beaten and bruised side until the final whistle.

In the dying stages, York added a drop-goal to round off the evening’s work. Marsh added the one point which encapsulated a professional showing in the final quarter from the Knights who will be hoping to finish the year with more wins like these.

Newcastle: Turner, Johnson, Gill, Wright, Clegg, Woods, Shorrocks, T. Chapelhow, Beswick, Trout, Bailey, Ta’ai, Simons.

Subs (all used): Spencer, Wilde, McAvoy, Donaghy.

Tries: Clegg (24), Johnson (40), Gill (48)

Goals: Woods (2/3)

York: Harrison, Jones-Bishop, Dow-Nikau, Salter, Whiteley, Marsh, Johnson, Kirmond, Washbrook, Green, Warren, McDonnell, Clarkson.

Subs (all used): Stock, Spears, Gannon, McGowan.

Tries: Clarkson (4), Jones-Bishop (17), McGowan (30, 32), Whiteley (59)

Goals: Harrison (4/5)

Field goals: Marsh (73)

York’s man of the match: Danny Washbrook. Controlled proceedings when he returned after half-time and his work led to Perry Whiteley’s decisive try.