Match report: London Skolars 16, York City Knights 16

Unless those supporters made a weekend of it, taking in a West End show or a day of sightseeing, they will have little but frustration to show for their travel and expense.

The Knights could at least return home with two points gleaned from a 16-16 draw, but that neither helped their chances of breaking into the top-four qualification zone in their pool nor appeased an angry head coach, Dave Woods, who described their display as simply disgraceful.

They were not helped by a cold mist, terrible handling conditions and heavy going underfoot, which acted as something of a leveller, nor the 8am start and long bus journey.

But they played pretty damn poorly, probably with complacency, having followed two tough games against Barrow and Featherstone with this easier task against the Championship One whipping boys.

As expected, Woods had resisted the temptation to make sweeping changes – something he now probably regrets.

He replaced crocked scrum-half Jonny Presley with his son, Scott, while Ian Bell was in at centre – his first start since coming out of jail – for the rested Matt Garside, and Tom Bush took over from Dennis Tuffour at full-back.

Elsewhere, Mark Barlow replaced Paul Stamp at loose-forward, the latter being left out completely as teenager Ed Smith was recalled to the bench and big Adam Howard, like Bush, made a competitive debut, albeit with only a short spell as a replacement prop.

Woods junior did little to enhance his credentials, while Bush, in particular, had an inauspicious start. He had earlier lost possession with a poor pass – in a painfully scrappy opening – and then failed to collect a Dylan Skee kick on his own line, not helped by a particularly boggy section of pitch.

Ade Adebisi picked up and touched down the loose ball, and Neil Thorman goaled.

Bell began better, twice winning possession – by dragging his man into touch and by dislodging the ball with a big hit. He forced another error later in the half, too.

But for every Skolars error there was an unforced blooper by York, Bell being among the host of culprits, and, regardless of any mitigating factors, Woods would have been angered by the plethora of cheap turnovers, which would be considerably more costly against Championship opponents.

Two tries in three first-half minutes seemed to kick-start matters.

John Davies broke a poor tackle from Gareth Honor to reach the posts, Chris Thorman goaling, and Lee Waterman superbly won Thorman’s high ball and set up Barlow to finish at the second attempt.

Improvements did not continue, however, and after Thorman was sin-binned for ten minutes, presumably for dissent after some argy-bargy, although he looked innocent as he trudged off, Skolars made use of the extra man for Luke May to finish out wide.

It was a particularly bad day for playmaker Thorman, who had joked beforehand he was obviously the best player in his family given his track record, only to see youngest brother Neil, the Skolars’ new captain, outshine him – and the rest of the Knights – on the day.

Bell and Waterman were held up over the whitewash early in the second half – Bell and Ryan Esders had been in the first period – and Bell also missed a half-chance when challenging for a Thorman chip.

But, while York had all the territory in the third quarter, it was not a day for creativity or fast-flowing rugby – players appeared to run through treacle, the ball spent as much time on the floor as in hands, and fans had the impossible task of telling one mud-caked combatant from another.

To York’s chagrin, the first piece of decent handling came from London, some 24 minutes into the half.

Fine hands down the left created an overlap which Adebisi made the most of, Neil Thorman goaling superbly from the touchline.

To London’s annoyance, they knocked on the restart and this time York made the most of the field position, as good hands from Jack Lee and Esders saw Danny Wilson finish out wide.

Chris Thorman was unable to do what his brother did with the conversion, however, and the scores were level.

Moreover, the hosts remained buoyed and, if either side’s handling was better, it was theirs.

Davies, who otherwise looked threatening, Esders, Bell and Lewis, among others, lost possession cheaply, and but for bloopers by the hosts, too, the Knights may well have left with an even more embarrassing result.

Match facts

Skolars: Anthony, Junor, Arnot, May, Adebisi, Skee, N Thorman, T Williams, Honor, Murtza, Thomas, Bolger, Aggrey.

Subs (all used): D Williams, Samson, Ball, Prescott.

Tries: Adebisi 9, 64; May 40.

Conversions: N Thorman 9, 64.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Knights: Bush 5, Sutton 6, Bell 6, Waterman 6, Wilson 6, C Thorman 5, Woods 5, Massey 6, Lee 6, Jones 6, Esders 5, Davies 6, Barlow 5.

Subs (all used): Stearman 6, Smith 5, Lewis 5, Howard 5.

Tries: Davies 25; Barlow 28; Wilson 67.

Conversions: C Thorman 25, 28.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: C Thorman 38.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Jack Lee – not because he was particularly great but more so because nobody stood out yet someone has to get this accolade.

Referee: Matthew Kidd (Castleford) – okay.

Penalty count: 11-11.

Attendance: 264.

Half-time: 10-12.

Weather: cold, misty, wet and muddy – something of an excuse for terrible rugby league.

Moment of the match: in a rare moment of excellence, Lee Waterman superbly won possession under Chris Thorman’s high kick and sent in the supporting Mark Barlow for York’s second try.

Gaffe of the match: there were several contenders but Tom Bush’s early blooper – failing to collect kick on his own try-line and handing Ade Adebisi an easy try – was the most costly.

Gamebreaker: the Skolars’ failure to turn late territory and possession into a drop-goal opportunity probably cost them the chance to win the game.

Match rating: utterly dire.