HEAD coach James Ford endured an unhappy return to Post Office Road as his York City Knights team lost 42-12 to his former club, Featherstone Rovers.

The Knights trailed 14-6 at half-time of their Good Friday evening clash, their sole touchdown coming from captain Tim Spears, the former Featherstone skipper.

But, playing up the infamous slope in the second half, they soon conceded four more tries and the game was over as a contest by the hour – York suffering only their third defeat of the Championship campaign, by far their heaviest too, and slipping to fourth in the table. Sheffield Eagles went above them after shocking second-placed Toulouse Olympique.

The Knights' late try from Sam Scott, plus Connor Robinson’s second conversion, was mere consolation.

Featherstone’s new signing from Bradford, Dane Chisholm, played a starring role at scrum-half, setting up several tries, scoring one and kicking seven goals.

Rovers’ other try scorers were centres Alex Sutcliffe (2) and Josh Walters, ex-Knights second-row John Davies and winger Josh Hardcastle (2).

A full report and reaction will follow.