York City Knights secure 44-18 win at Workington Town

York were knocked out of the Betfred Challenge Cup in a 38-12 defeat at Whitehaven last month but went some way to making amends with this victory at Derwent Park.

The Knights went in front after just three minutes and, a five-minute period in the second half aside, never looked like surrendering their lead.

While Workington remain bottom of the division and without a league win since promotion from League One, a trip to Cumbria is never an easy prospect.

For York, it is five wins from their first seven league matches, with defeats only coming to promotion favourites Featherstone Rovers and Leigh Centurions.

A string of clashes with fellow likely play-off contenders this month and next will likely be most telling to how this season unfolds but on current evidence, York appear well-placed to sit in and among the top six.

As expected, Jamie Ellis dropped out at half-back through injury, with Brendan O’Hagan and Liam Harris starting together for the first time in the halves.

In the forwards, Joe Porter replaced Ronan Dixon on the bench.

For Workington, Caine Barnes returned from suspension and Malik Steele was back from injury, both forwards taking their places in the back-row.

York could scarcely have made a better start scoring from their first genuine attacking set.

And it was the returning-from-the-start Harris who grabbed the try, easily dummying his way through the Workington line after the rampaging Pauli Pauli made plenty of metres down the middle in the previous play.

Harris converted his own try, the first of six conversions from eight attempts.

Heading into this contest, Workington averaged less than 10 points a game and such a misfiring attack was on show when Town managed to put some pressure on York’s line.

A penalty put Workington in striking range and twice Carl Forber put kicks wide to Alex Young but youngster Bradley Ward did just about enough in defence to deny him.

York barely had to exert themselves when scoring their second try. Workington knocked on 20m from their own line and quick-fire penalty and six-again decisions left the Knights in prime position for Jordan Thompson to drive over from a well-timed line.

Workington again were given a chance at cutting the deficit as two penalties put them on the York line, only for Caine Barnes to drop a pass in what appeared to be the act of scoring.

The Knights duly punished the hosts’ wastefulness in offence when, on the back of a penalty, Levi Edwards broke down the short side and fed Joe Brown to score.

Another penalty for the Knights then allowed O’Hagan to grubber in-goal to win a drop out.

From the resulting set, Harris kicked between the sticks and O’Hagan chased the lost cause before remarkably keeping the ball in play, flicking backwards for Edwards to dot down.

The Leeds Rhinos loanee paid his dues for O’Hagan’s assist by helping the Australian back onto the pitch, having found himself over the advertising hoardings.

Making matters worse for Workington, who by now were trailing 20-0, was injuries to Evan Simons and Marcus O’Brien.

To Workington’s credit, they managed to rally for the final five minutes of the first half. Town managed to force an error from Pauli near the line before Matty Henson was held up.

York winger Joe Brown then managed to pat Forber’s cross-field dead in the final chance of the half.

The home side managed to build on their late first-half momentum straight after the restart. A short restart was successful and, after winning a drop out and a penalty, Henson darted over from dummy half. Carl Forber added the extras, the first of three successful kicks.

Following the pattern set in the first 40 minutes, York scored after earning some cheap metres from a penalty.

This time, James Glover picked up a loose ball on the right and scored a tremendous solo try, reaching out a hand to touch down through some pitiful home defence.

That try was a rare venture forward for the Knights in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, with the visitors lacking the same punch and vigour that they packed in the first period.

Before the hour mark, Henson once more squirmed out of dummy half and the three York defenders on the goal-line were unable to stop the interchange.

The score sparked the home crowd into life as did another Workington try from the very next set. Luke Broadbent broke through the middle of the York line and the supporting Forber profited. His subsequent conversion left Town trailing by just eight points having appeared out of the match at its midpoint.

Just as it appeared as if a thrilling finish was in the offing, the Knights hit back with a decisive score. Once again, a penalty deep in Workington territory gifted good-ball to York and they duly capitalised. As he had done over an hour earlier, Harris sold Town a marvellous dummy to breeze over.

Workington’s restart headed out on the full, giving Will Jubb space to surge through the tiring home defence and under the sticks.

Seconds before the final hooter, the Knights added further gloss to the scoreboard when Ward raced down the right flank and put Glover over for his second try.

Workington: Broadbent, Young, Brown, Olstrom, Clegg, Doran, Forber, Thomson, Simons, Fitzsimmons, Steele, Barnes, O’Brien.

Subs (all used): Singleton, Clarke, Henson, Hutchings.

Tries: Henson (45’, 58’), Forber (61’)

Goals: Forber (3/3)

York: Marsh, Brown, Glover, Edwards, Ward, O’Hagan, Harris, Matongo, Jubb, Pauli, Kirmond, Clarkson, Thompson.

Subs (all used): Teanby, Stock, Brining, Porter.

Tries: Harris (3’, 66’), Thompson (13’), Brown (20’), Edwards (27’), Glover (48’, 80’), Jubb (69’)

Goals: Harris (6/8)

York’s star man: Will Jubb. A fine second-half solo try capped another tremendous performance which again saw big minutes.