JINX? What jinx?

York City Knights have waited 12 years and 14 encounters to beat bogey team Barrow, but when they finally got that hoodoo monkey off their back, they did so in quite astonishing fashion. Worth the wait?

The final score was 56-0 – York’s biggest victory at Championship level since Mick Cook’s team won 62-0 at a financially stricken Oldham back in 2006. The Knights still ended up being relegated that year – but there is little danger of that happening this season if the manner, style and swagger of this victory is anything to go by.

Some of the Knights’ rugby was sparkling, some of the handling sublime. The support play, the angles of attack, the speed of play, the options – it’s fair to say that after pretty much winning the game in the first half, James Ford’s men enjoyed themselves in the second.

Oh, and the big bruising Raiders – a team who “always” beat York - were nilled too. York’s defence, it’s fair to say, was back up to scratch again.

Plenty of players vied for the headlines.

Joe Batchelor - such a favourite here until his winter switch to St Helens - scored twice inside 10 minutes on his debut back on loan, playing in the second row.

Ben Cockayne played a starring role at stand-off on his 350th career appearance – showing young Barrow pretender Ryan Johnston a thing or two, in defence as well as attack.

Half-back partner Connor Robinson scored two tries, nine conversions and a penalty for a 100 per cent record with the boot and a personal haul of 28 points.

And Jason Bass, last season playing for League One minnows Coventry, scored his first, second and third tries for the Knights in a blistering 18-minute hat-trick.

Others could easily have been man of the match on another day.

York had showed four changes to the side that came back to win at Dewsbury last week.

Winger Perry Whiteley began his two-match ban, loose-forward Marcus Stock was out injured, and hooker Will Jubb and centre Brad Hey were omitted.

In their steads came Judah Mazive, Dave Petersen, interchange hooker Carter, and Batchelor. All justified selection.

Barrow made three changes to the side so cruelly beaten by Sheffield last week, two enforced.

Jamie Dallimore like Whiteley began a two-match ban and prop Ryan Duffy was out injured. Jake Carter was also omitted.

In came Johnston – chosen ahead of fellow youngster Carter at stand-off - and the fit-again pair of forward Brad Crellin and hooker Nathan Mossop.

The Knights were led out by Cockayne – with baby daughter in his arms – on his 350th career appearance. They were pretty much led about the field by the 35-year-old, too, in a man-of-the-match show.

York began on top - as they meant to go on.

Two daft penalties set them up perfectly and Batchelor crossed from a Connor Robinson pass, the second-row marking his return to the Knights inside three minutes.

York stayed in the ascendancy, although their second try came when Barrow were in possession - a Batchelor 60-metre interception special out of nothing.

Petersen was the catalyst, his pressure on the kicker forcing a hurried pass and a spill by Papua New Guinean hooker Wartovo Puara. Batchelor plucked the ball out of the air, raced away and, using a couple of zig-zags, evaded the chasers.

Barrow were given a chance in the red zone midway through the half as referee Liam Staveley penalised Matty Marsh for moving off the mark, deeming the full-back had tried to buy a penalty.

But Jordan Walne, the former Hull KR forward who turned out for York on dual-reg last season, was repelled at the try-line and a big Main Stand roar went up when centre Deon Cross was halted then shoved off-field.

York duly went up the other end where Robinson landed a penalty. The fact they went for the two points suggested they thought this would be a close contest.

Playing in almost perfect conditions, the pace was relentless and handling errors hitherto at a premium. Barrow are a physical side but York were winning more than their fair share of collisions. The pace, ultimately, became too much for the visitors.

The hosts’ first real errors came nearly half an hour in, Jack Blagbrough fumbling in hit-ups in his own half. But his team’s defence came to his rescue. Johnston thought he had scored after breaking two tackles but he was miraculously held up.

The Raiders maintained a spell of pressure, but then York broke out on the back of a penalty won out of yardage by Mazive and made it 20-0.

Stand-off Cockayne, turning back the clock, jinked into a gap and was away, giving Petersen his first try for the club.

The superb first-half show was capped in fitting fashion.

Ash Robson found a gap infield, then offloaded expertly to the sprinting Marsh. He almost beat full-back Ritson but in any case had Liam Salter flying up in support - and flying into the corner for his first York try.

The Knights’ attacking play had the Raiders stretched again on the resumption, Bass held up over the try-line when nearly finishing a half-chance.

The visitors found no way through either at the other end – Johnston again denied a touchdown – after a Marsh mistake under a kick had given them the ball in the danger zone.

Instead, the hosts extended their lead.

Marsh had a try ruled out from a Robinson kick but referee Liam Staveley pulled play back for a foul by Jarrad Stack which brought the Aussie a yellow card. Against the 12 men, Robinson dummied then reached out to dab the ball over the whitewash.

Then Bass had his first, angling his run perfectly to take the scoring pass following a Marsh break.

The fun continued for the home crowd, even when Barrow were back up to 13, as Robinson jinked inside for an easy run-in.

Then when Barrow were back down to 12 – Mossop this time sin-binned – Marsh joined the line to send Bass through a gap for his second.

Robinson’s touchline conversion brought up the half-century.

Barrow continued to huff and puff but could find no way through, prop Tom Walker held on his back over the try-line, before Bass put icing on cake when sprinting home on a great line after being slipped in by the superb Cockayne.