York City Knights beat London Broncos 36-34 in a thriller

A York 17 featuring four teenagers and only one player over the age of 30 in the starting 13 trailed 18-6 at half time and 18-28 with just over a dozen minutes left against London.

However a late sin-bin for Broncos’ Brock Pelligra saw York capitalise by scoring twice, with Jamie Ellis’ perfect goal-kicking ultimately the difference between the sides.

Having played only four days earlier at Sheffield Eagles and with a youthful side fielded, this was always likely to be tighter than expected, yet few could have foreseen such a points-fest between third and second-from-bottom in the Betfred Championship.

While not at their best against either Sheffield or London, two wins in such a short time span cements York’s play-off spot and further highlights a resilience in this current group, even if it was much-changed at the LNER Community Stadium.

For York, Ellis, Brad Ward, Jacob Ogden, Sam Davis and Toby Warren came in for Joe Brown, Will Jubb, Jack Teanby, Ronan Dixon and Masi Matongo.

Chris Clarkson, Danny Kirmond and Myles Harrison all dropped to the bench.

On the face of it, York had picked the best possible time to rotate their squad, given that they were facing a side on the back of a defeat to then-winless bottom club Workington Town and had made several changes themselves.

Six alterations were made from the Workington loss, with three debutants put in by interim head coach Mike Eccles, in Pelligra, Max Allen and Daniel Hoyes.

London had conceded after just 10 minutes in Cumbria, and let in three tries in half an hour, but made the dream start against York.

After pinning Ward in-goal, from the back of the goal-line drop-out, London capitalised when former Hull FC and Castleford Tigers prop Lewis Bienek crashed over from an Oliver Leyland short ball.

The assister scored his first of three conversions from six attempts.

Piggy-backed upfield by a penalty, Leyland then threw another swift pass which Brad Foster profited from.

York struggled to get much going through Ellis, who threw a cut-out pass aimed for Brad Ward into touch, but Liam Harris fared better.

His grubber won a drop-out from which the 25-year-old dummied his way over. Ellis kicked the first of six conversions from as many attempts, as would later prove crucial.

That failed to kickstart York, who went 12 behind again as Olly Leyland scored a penalty goal and a frenetic last-play ended in back-rower Foster kicking left for Daniel Hoyes to score from a flick-back inside.

The half ended at 18-6 to the visitors, with two cheap knock-ons from York in the final two minutes summing up the first 40 minutes.

The Knights got themselves back in the game through two tries in as many minutes but did so off the back of some concerted spell of pressure deep in the London 20.

First, Jordan Thompson showed good footwork near the line to reach out and score before a rampaging Pauli Pauli break fed Matty Marsh from 40m out.

London hit back with two quick-fire tries of their own to swing the match back in their favour.

A York knock-on allowed room for a clever shift left to be finished by Iliess Macani from Alex Walker’s pass.

Macani then broke away down the left before returning the favour to Walker, kicking inside for the Scotland international to ground.

Having appeared to have gained the upper hand, the hosts suddenly found themselves 10 points behind with nearly a dozen minutes left.

The Knights won a gift of a penalty, London penalised for obstruction as Ward chased a kick the Broncos caught relatively comfortably.

From there, the ball was worked to the right and Towse produced a good finish in the corner.

In the end, it was the ill-discipline of the away side, who conceded 13 penalties or six-agains in all, that would prove to be their downfall.

Pelligra was sent to the sin-bin for a high shot and York faced 12 men for the last 10 minutes, trailing by four at this stage.

The numerical advantage paid dividends when Harris picked out the space on the right where Towse was waiting to grab his second. Ellis’ fifth goal had York in front for the first time, with seven minutes left.

Having seen Ellis held up, half-back partner Harris put the game beyond London with a trademark dummy try. A vital sixth Ellis conversion followed.

The drama did not end there though. London won the short kick off and Jude Ferreira’s converted try left the Broncos behind by just two in the final minute.

Late interchange Myles Harrison caught the desperate last kick of the game and for the first time all afternoon, York could breathe a huge sigh of relief.

York: Marsh, Ward, Glover, Ogden, Towse, Ellis, Harris, Pauli, Davis, Porter, Antrobus, Warren, Thompson.

Subs (all used): Clarkson, Stock, Kirmond, Harrison.

Tries: Harris (24’, 76’), Thompson (48’), Marsh (50’), Towse (67, 72’)

Goals: Ellis (6/6)

York’s star man: Pauli Pauli. Brilliant assist for Marsh’s try and constantly made metres by driving through London’s line.

London: Walker, Macani, Ferreira, Hoyes, Ulberg, Pelligra, O. Leyland, Williams, Parata, Bienek, Allen, Foster, Palumbo.

Subs (all used): Tuliatu, B. Leyland, Vrahnos, Parke.

Tries: Bienek (9’), Foster (13’), Hoyes (32’), Macani (54’), Walker (56’), Ferreira (79’)

Goals: O. Leyland (4/7)

Sin-bin: Pelligra (71’)

Referee: James Vella

Attendance: Not given

Penalties/Six-agains: 13-3