Hunslet 14, York 16

Even coach Mick Cook admitted he feared it might be déjà vu when, for the second time this season, Hunslet Hawks swept back from a sizeable deficit against his side.

Painful to recall though it may be, Knights fans will remember how Hunslet recovered from 14-0 behind to beat York 19-14 at Huntington Stadium in April.

This time, Hunslet levelled the scores at 14-14 after trailing by ten points at the half. But Cook's patched up side - sporting a host of changes from the 13 which saw off Barrow a week ago - are becoming adept at dealing with adversity and they rallied superbly to pick up another precious three points.

Indeed, the Knights team-sheet was almost unrecognisable in appearance, in terms of positions anyway, from the team which sent the Raiders packing.

Rob Spicer and Jonny Liddell were the half-back combination - forced because of injuries to Scott Rhodes and Danny Grimshaw. Lee Mapals lined up at full-back, Johnny Waldron came back at right wing and there were also starts for Jimmy Elston and Stephen Grundy, with Jamaine Wray on the bench.

If it had the air of the makeshift about it, those fears could not have been allayed when Hunslet fired the fastest out of the blocks - opening the scoring after just two minutes.

On their first possession, Matty Firth's little kick-ahead wrong-footed Tom Burton. He couldn't gather and Andy Robinson swooped in unopposed to touch down.

The Knights seemed unperturbed by this early misfortunate. They simply put their heads down and drove straight ahead. Hunslet didn't appreciate the approach and resorted to the darker arts.

Referee Craig Halloran was having none of it and, on ten minutes, Ryan Esders struck a penalty through the uprights after Hunslet were penalised for offside.

There were groans when York's injury jinx struck again and Nathan Priestley was forced off with just 12 minutes on the clock but the Knights didn't have too long to dwell on it because, almost immediately, they took the lead.

Neil Lowe looked for all the world like he was tackled when hit five metres out but, while up in the air, he delivered a sensational offload outside to Waldron, who steamed in on the right touchline to hand York a 6-4 advantage.

With Hunslet continuing to transgress, the Knights began to dominate both territory and possession.

They scored again on 25 minutes. Lowe sidestepped a tackle before being crunched and, from a quick play-the-ball, Elston controlled and flipped the ball to Kyle Palmer who darted over the line - Esders fortunately goaling the conversion with the help of the left-hand post.

Mapals had his head in his hands just after the half-hour when he knocked on with the Hunslet line at his mercy after Stephen Grundy had shredded Hawks' tattered defensive line.

And, when Hunslet's Paul Seal was sin-binned after a bit of backchat with five minutes of the half remaining, Esders missed what looked like a fairly straightforward penalty opportunity.

He made amends, from an even simpler chance, on the stroke of half-time and York went into the break 14-4 in front.

But it could have been more. Much more. And those who recalled Hunslet's smash and grab raid at Huntington Stadium were just a little nervous. The Hawks couldn't play as badly again in the second period.

They didn't. It took them just four second-half minutes to wipe out York's lead. First, on 53 minutes, Ben Jones wandered in round the left side of the Knights' defence after being found all on his own by Steve Morton.

Then, on 57 minutes, Will Cartledge slipped through a gap right down the centre of York's backline - sprinting through to cross the whitewash from 20 metres. Chris Ross kicked the conversion and the scores were level.

During the dark days of a few weeks ago, you could have put forward an argument that the Knights would have capitulated in the face of Hunslet's determined pressure.

But that was then and this is now. This time, there was to be no surrender from York. It took only a last gasp defensive stand to haul down Mapals after he swept out on a 70-metre run from near his own line on 64 minutes and, after Lowe was the victim of a high tackle, Liddell held his nerve to strike a penalty with ten minutes remaining.

Driving runs from Spicer and more good work by Mapals helped to keep Hunslet at bay, but they still wasted a chance to take a share of the spoils when Ross carved a 20-metre penalty so wide of the left-hand post, the ball didn't even run out of play - York having to be alert to fall on possession.

The Knights' defence stood firm as Hunslet went probing for the try they needed and, as time was running out, one pass too far fell to Mapals, who may not have scored with his storming run into Hawks territory, but he relieved the pressure. As the buzzer sounded, there was ecstasy on the field. It's going to take more than a few injuries, and the incessant bad summer weather, to stop the Knights now.

Match facts

Co-operative National League Two

Sunday, July 15, 2007 at John Charles Stadium

Hawks 14, Knights 16

Hawks: Bramald, Robinson A, Cook, Jones, Morton, Moxon, Firth, Ekis, Greenwood, Smith, Freeman, Cunningham, Cartledge. Subs (all used): Robinson D, Pennington, Ross, Seal.

Tries: Robinson A 2, Jones 53, Cartledge 57. Conversion: Ross 57.

Penalties: None. Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Seal 37. Sent off: None.

Knights: Mapals 7, Waldron 7, Palmer 7, C Spurr 6, Burton 6, Spicer 7, Liddell 7, Buckley 7, Elston 6, Lowe 8, Grundy 7, Priestley 5, Esders 7. Subs (all used): Wray 6, Lingard 7, MacDonald 6, Williams 7.

Tries: Waldron 13, Palmer 25. Conversions: Esders 25. Penalties: Esders 10, 40. Liddell 70.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None. Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Neil Lowe - A battering ram, lively in both attack and defence, he typified this battling display from the Knights.

Referee: Craig Halloran (Dewsbury).

Rating: Whistle-happy and inconsistent, some of his decisions were a mystery.

Penalty count: 17-10.

HT: 4-14.

Gamebreaker: Lee Mapals didn't score a try with his surging run into Hawks' territory with a minute to go, but he relieved the building pressure.

Moment of the match: Neil Lowe was up in the air, being tackled, when he superbly off-loaded to give Johnny Waldron the easiest of run-ins.

Weather: Driving rain battered both players and spectators.

Attendance: 462.

Match rating: A good first half from the Knights followed by a dramatic second - Cook would have preferred it easier, but a win is a win.