YORK City Knights' season ended very much like it began.

In the first game back in February, Jamie Bovill was controversially sent off after five minutes of his debut, with full-timers Hull KR going on to win comfortably.

Yesterday, Dave Buckley was red-carded after just two minutes at Leigh, and the Centurions also won at a canter, as one would expect of a full-time side.

York's excellent end-of-season run thus ended on a low note and, while it makes no difference to their finishing position given that relegation from National League One had already been confirmed, it was somewhat disappointing to end the campaign with their heaviest defeat of the year.

Whether Leigh - who needed the result to guarantee third place in the NL1 table and thus a home tie in the opening play-offs - would have preferred a tougher work-out in the build-up to the knockout rounds, rather than this comfortable run-out, is debatable.

However, the paying customers, especially those who made the journey from York, would definitely have wanted more value for money than the somewhat low-key, and at times error-ridden, affair that ensued, a spectacle which was most notable for the atmosphere generated late on by the travelling fans in support of their doomed team.

The key moment came when Buckley - perhaps frustrated by the fact Leigh had made the York players wait for ages before entering the field of play - landed a high tackle on Aaron Heremaia as the Leigh scrum-half kicked the ball. It was only slightly late but pretty high and Heremaia certainly felt it.

Referee Julian King sent the Aussie off seemingly on the advice of a touch judge, though neither of the two players who landed retaliatory punches were carded.

The game thus ruined, the Knights' capitulation was not particularly surprising as Leigh played some decent stuff to score at regular intervals, their first try coming on seven minutes.

Young York full-back Lee Mapals fumbled a high bouncing ball, and Heremaia - showing little ill-effects from his earlier blow - scored from the scrum.

Mapals, like in his other previous appearance when he messed-up his first touch, went on to generally impress with ball in hand, his quick feet causing the defence problems.

He set up the Knights' first try, which came with the last play of the first half, as he caught Scott Rhodes' chip and got a great ball out for Jonny Liddell to touch down.

By then, however, Leigh had already crossed six times, Heremaia's try being followed by touchdowns by Danny Halliwell; Scott Grix, after Lee Lingard - who had a bit of a stinker - had stumbled; Ricky Bibey; Carl Forber; and Lee Greenwood, a 70-yard interception effort after Peter Fox had dropped a simple pass. Fox later made up for his error with a superb try-saving tackle chasing back.

Leigh had been allowed to off-load too much in the first half-hour, notwithstanding the extra man, but while battling defence forced some Leigh errors later in the half, mistakes with the ball helped the hosts score thrice early in the second period, through Heremaia, Dean Gaskell and Adam Hughes.

The tide was stemmed, however, and credit is due for that to the York players who continued to fight on.

Joe Helme bulldozed over after a decent attack in which Mapals played his part, and Mapals capped his second man-of-the-match award in two appearances with an individual try, cutting inside and dashing to the posts. Paul Thorman goaled both.

Hughes' second try in between these two scores brought up the 50-mark for Leigh but this was met, paradoxically enough, by a remarkable show of support from those "York and proud of it" fans, even when Gaskell and Halliwell scored again, Forber ending with six conversions.

Match facts:

Centurions: Grix, Gaskell, Hughes, Halliwell, Greenwood, Forber, Heremaia, Bibey, Rowley, Wilson, Prescott, Hill, Roberts. Subs (all used): Sykes, Roden, Hargreaves, Stevens.

Tries: Heremaia 7, 45; Halliwell 10, 78; Grix 17; Bibey 22; Forber 24; Greenwood 28; Gaskell 49, 75; Hughes 53, 66. Conversions: Forber 22, 24, 28, 45, 53, 78. Penalties: None. Drop-goals: None.

Sin-binned: None. Sent off: None.

Knights: Mapals 8, Lingard 5, Spurr 6, Buchanan 6, Fox 6, Rhodes 6, Thorman 6, Sullivan 6, Liddell 6, Ward 6, Golden 6, Buckley 4, Spicer 6. Subs (all used): Wray 7, Priestley 6, Blanchard 6, Helme 7.

Tries: Liddell 40; Helme 56; Mapals 69. Conversions: Thorman 56, 69. Penalties: None. Drop-goals: None.

Sin-binned: None. Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Lee Mapals - he's not the biggest, nor is he the finished article by any means, but he isn't half nippy. Set up York's first try, played a part in the second and scored a brilliant third.

Referee: Julian King (St Helens). Rating: Early red card, albeit possibly merited, ruined the game.

Penalty count: 6-7 Attendance: 2,147 HT: 30-4 Weather watch: Warm Gamebreaker: The second-minute red card.

Moment of the match: Lee Mapals' try, where he cut inside and dashed to the posts - underlining the fact the Knights appear have unearthed a gem who may have a big part to play next season.

Match rating: Some good moments but the contest was effectively ended by the early sending-off.