IT'S HARDLY clutching at straws given last week's superb performance against Barrow Raiders, but York City Knights fans looking for positive omens ahead of their trip to Hunslet Hawks tomorrow need only look back to the last time the club travelled to South Leeds for a National League Two clash.

Not that they will have to think too hard to remember that day in August 2005, for it is arguably the greatest in the Knights' short history so far.

For it was the day the Knights clinched the then LHF National League Two championship - and in stunning style to boot.

Scriptwriters would have been sacked for over-complicating the plot, such was the tension, the drama and the quite astonishing comeback which saw the Knights crowned title-winners at the then South Leeds Stadium.

They staged a Phoenix from the flames-like revival - coming back from 22-0 down to win 24-22 thanks to a late penalty and a disallowed Hunslet try during seven minutes of nerve-racking stoppage time.

It was a fitting finale for Knights legend Lee Jackson, who had staved off retirement the year before after suffering play-off final heartache for York against Halifax.

For the former Great Britain hooker, whose illustrious career had included Challenge Cup and Grand Final triumphs, it proved to be his last hurrah with the Knights.

That winning Hunslet feeling should be a familiar one for a number of the current Knights squad. No fewer than five of that outfit, including stand off Scott Rhodes and full back Jonny Liddell, still turn out at Huntington Stadium.

Let's see if they can do it once again - just without the drama this time.

Speaking of Jackson, the former York favourite joined Knights coaches Mick Cook and Jason Ramshaw in turning back the clock last week to play for Yorkshire Veterans.

They played the Army Veterans in an over-35s challenge match at the Chris Moyles Stadium, Featherstone. There were also fundraising activities like a raffle and auction, with all money raised being split between the Army Benevolent Fund and Cancer Research.

Former St Helens, Bradford and Great Britain star Paul Newlove, now a coach of Heworth and of York Ironsides in the York 9s, was also playing for the Tykes.

It was a resounding win for the Vets, said Cook who - during his 60 minute stint - agreed to sport an outrageous pair of flowery shorts for charity.

"I've got a friend, James Ellerby, who likes to humiliate me," he explained. "He put £300 into the charity if I would wear the shorts of his choice.

"He came in with these big flowery things and I agreed to wear them because it was £300 in the pot. It was a resounding win for the Yorkshire select vets again.

"We beat the Army again - that's four times on the trot. It was a good afternoon. We probably raised about £1,500 for the charities and we had a good game, and met up with some old friends and got bashed!"

Of his hour on the pitch, Cook said: "We had a squad of 19 players and people come there to play and it's a little bit selfish to steal all the game time so we swapped and changed around so everyone got an opportunity to play.

"It was about 60 minutes, maybe I could have gone the 80, but I would have probably been another 20 per cent stiffer when I woke up the next day so it was probably a good thing that the 60 minutes was enough."

One-horse race

IT'S in danger of becoming a no contest in the Press/Collier Plant Hire Player of the Year competition.

Another man-of-the-match performance from Rob Spicer, who before the Barrow match receiving his Press Player of the Month award for June from Alex Foster, scooped all three points and extended his lead in the standings to a whopping ten points over try-scoring phenomenon Lee Mapals and Dave Buckley.

Jonny Liddell's defensive skills saw him pick up two points, while Jimmy Elston's attacking nous - and particularly his superb line break to set up Stephen Grundy for the clinching try - meant he snatched the final point on offer.

Press/Collier Plant Hire Player of the Year standings: Spicer 27pts, Mapals 17, Buckley 17, Brown 10, Sullivan 10, Rhodes 10, Wray 9, Lowe 6, Esders 6, Rayner 6, Elston 6, Helme 5, Liddell 5, Cakacaka 4, Williams 3, Grimshaw 3, C Spurr 2 Grundy 2, Brooks 2, MacDonald 1, Potter 1, Thackeray 1

KNIGHTS STAT ATTACK

  • the "goals" section in the Stat Attack panel will remain in the "Bad Boys" sector for the time being.

GOOD BOYS

Press player of the month awards: Ian Brown 1, Lee Mapals 1, Jamaine Wray 1, Dave Buckley 1, Rob Spicer.

Press man of the match awards: Mapals 3, Spicer 3, Brown 2, Esders 2, Sullivan 2, Lowe 2, Rayner, Wray, Cakacaka, Helme, Williams, Rhodes, Buckley, Grimshaw, Elston all 1.

Trade paper man of the match awards: Mapals 5, Rhodes 4, Wray 4, Helme 2, Grimshaw 2, Thackeray 2, Rayner 2, Spicer 2, Williams, Liddell, Sullivan, Buckley, Brooks all 1.

Tries: Mapals 16, Brown 8, C Spurr 8, Rayner 6, Buckley 6, Elston 6, Thackeray 5, Potter 5, Godfrey 4, Spicer 4, Dunmore 3, Rhodes 3, Esders 3, Helme 2, Smith 2, Cakacaka 2, Wray 2, Lowe 2, Liddell 2, Priestley, Sullivan, Grundy, Lingard, Brooks, Grimshaw, penalty try all 1.

BAD BOYS

Goals: Wray 28/48; 12/18; Gargan 10/13; Grimshaw 8/10; Lingard 7/9; Liddell 4/9; Brooks 1/2; Dunmore 1/3; Rayner 0/1; Mapals 0/1; Godfrey 0/1; Lowe 0/1.

Penalties for York: 197.

Penalties against York: 197.

Yellow cards for York: Wray 2, MacDonald 2, Buckley 2, Esders 1, Elston 1, Godfrey 1.

Yellow cards for opposition: Gateshead 2, Toulouse 2, Keighley 2, Barrow 2, Swinton 1, Blackpool 1, Workington 1.

Red cards for York: 0.

Red cards for opposition: Workington 1.