YORK City Knights won at Workington despite having three players sick on the coach to the game and seeing star man David March suffer what was feared to be a broken bone in the first half.

Director of rugby James Ratcliffe revealed after the 36-6 Championship One success that prop Mark Applegarth had vomited on the bus, while both player-coach Paul March and Chris Clough were also suffering sickness.

Loose-forward David March also had a badly swollen right hand/wrist at half-time, but asked to play on. It is hoped X-rays will show it to be only a sprain.

The March brothers went on to play a massive part in the victory while Clough also stood out as the Knights improved significantly after the break, after a dour first half had ended 6-6.

Ratcliffe said: “Paul, ‘Mash’ (Applegarth) and Chris Clough were all sick on on the way up. We think Mash had travel sickness. Paul looked bad at half-time.

“David March thought he might have broken his hand. It was really swollen at half-time, but he didn’t tell anyone apart from me and the physio and was happy to carry on. Hopefully it’s just a sprain.”

Paul March went on to complete a hat-trick while David was The Press’ man of the match – with both noticeably curbing ill-discipline that has previously dogged them.

Ratcliffe added: “When they’re on form and playing for the team and on the front foot and not arguing with referees, they’re fantastic in this division.

“When they get on with playing rugby and get on with doing what they do best, then they will get the plaudits they deserve.”

Ratcliffe said the first half had been “like pulling teeth” but was pleased with his side’s show thereafter.

“It was the worst and the best of us in the two halves,” he said. “It was a very professional second-half performance. In the first half a few individuals were going along their own avenues rather than sticking to the game-plan. We had a refocus at half-time and they stuck to the game-plan and did the business.”

Ratcliffe was delighted with the defensive effort that kept the hosts to one try, but said: “The reason they had so much ball in the first half was because we did not stick to the game-plan when we had the ball and you can’t account for people giving the ball away on the second or third tackle.

“It was quite frustrating to see them not doing what we asked but in the second half they built the pressure and got the results.

“We don’t want them to play scared, but there’s a time and a place for those (risky) passes.

“You don’t need miracle passes all the time or to try to score with every tackle. It’s about getting to the right end and building pressure.”

* The Knights reserve grade academy side lost 54-0 to Barrow in their reserve division one match at Heworth on Saturday.

Kris Peacock, Mark Ward and Jack Stearman stood out for a young York side against a Cumbrian outfit featuring half a dozen first-teamers.