YORK City Knights captain Tim Spears has admitted he had almost forgotten what it felt like to lose - and says Sunday's loss to Sheffield makes the squad want to work "harder than ever" to get better.

The Knights fell 24-16 to the Eagles for only their fourth defeat at Bootham Crescent since the start of the 2018 season - the others coming last year against Bradford and, in the Challenge Cup, Catalans and this term against Championship title favourites Toronto.

Next up is a tough trip to Barrow for a fourth round cup tie on Sunday - at a ground where York have not won since 2004. But Spears is adamant the team will be desperate to right some wrongs.

"We're a group that don’t like losing," he said. "We’ll look at where we need to put things right and we'll work harder than ever to do that.

"When we lose it hurts - when you get used to winning you forget how it hurts to lose.

"We pride ourselves on our place being a tough ground to come to.

"It (the defeat) just makes you realise you get nothing given in this game. As well as you've played the week before, you've got to earn it all again the following week, and if you don't you come unstuck.

"To say it's a 'reality check' is a bit strong but it does underline the need for every individual to work really hard through the week and strive to improve. If you don't, if you stand still, you can get beaten quite easily.

"You need to play at eight or nine out of 10 every week or you don't win."

The Knights had three tries disallowed on Sunday in a game which went virtually to the wire, Sheffield sealing victory with a 78th-minute try.

"How many times have we been on the right side of the fence in these sort of games?" said Spears, referring to the seven victories by four points or less on their way to the League One crown - plus two more such victories this term.

"This time we were on the wrong side. That's sport and that's what make sport so entertaining. You cant predict it. It's nailbiting. That game right up to a few minutes to play could have gone either way."

He added: "There were two pretty good teams. From a completion and error perspective it was pretty high-quality, especially in the first half, where two pretty good teams cancelled each other out.

"These are the sort of battles, after being promoted, that we wanted to be involved in. It was just disappointing in one or two key areas at crucial times that possibly one or two individuals and us a group were a little bit off, maybe five or 10 per cent.

"In high-quality games at the top end of the Championship, that's the difference.

"If you see some of the results (on Sunday), if you were a betting man you'd probably have bet the other way in most of those fixtures. That shows what a strong competition we're in and equally shows the need to be at or near your best week in week out.

"It's tougher in some respects than losing by a hatful when you've been outplayed in every aspect of the game.

"It was a couple of calls by the ref, a couple of calls to pass or to keep it, to come in or stay out.

"It was disappointing to come out the wrong side of a close game. Sheffield played well and gave us very little opportunity.

"It's not a feeling we're used to, which makes it a little bit worse."

York walloped Barrow 56-0 at home last month to end a 13-match losing sequence to the Raiders, but Spears is aware this Sunday's cup tie will be a "different ball game".

He said: "It brings a different challenge in terms of the travel and playing in Cumbria - it's got its own weather system so you never know what you're going to get. Obviously they'll be smarting from us spanking them down here.

"We know it's going to be a big challenge but it's a good opportunity to get back on the horse and get a win. Equally we'll have to be good to overcome a really challenging cup tie."

On the 15-year wait for a victory at Craven Park, he added: "It's a long time isn't it. We'll have to be pretty good. We pride ourselves on being a well-prepared professional group and the things we talk about week in week out, we'll have to do well.

"That includes our preparation, doing the right things through the week and giving yourself the best possible opportunity to get the job done.

"I don't buy in the 'bogey team' thing. I was 20 in 2004. People come and go and it's different personalities. I don't buy into the 'hoodoo' - and obviously we put 50 on them last time.

"It's more about us looking at where we went wrong on Sunday and looking at what we can improve and doing what we need to do as a group of professional players to get the win."