THE startling form of Adam Sullivan has brought the young prop more top awards, including a York City Knights club first.

The 22-year-old has been named the first LHF National League Two Player of the Month this season after some scintillating displays throughout April.

And he has also become the first player to win two Knights Player of the Month awards on the trot since the accolade was introduced last season.

This month saw Sullivan give a remarkable individual performance to spearhead the incredible comeback at Keighley, and this in turn kick-started York's surge to the top of the table, in which the former Hull KR youngster has maintained stunning form.

Knights boss Mick Cook said: "Adam ripped Sheffield apart after being a massive contributor in our comeback against Keighley. He's been solid all the time and he's a prop who plays big stints."

The other National League winners were Hull KR's James Webster (NL1) and Bramley's Scott Pendlebury (NL3).

The club award, meanwhile, proves again what a hit Sullivan has become with the fans, as this accolade, sponsored by the Evening Press, is voted for by supporters.

Only Simon Friend has twice been Player of the Month, but not in consecutive months, his awards coming in March and September last year.

Sullivan's award for April is particularly merited given the form of the entire team, who have enjoyed four wins from four in the month and scored a whopping 208 points - an average of 52 per game.

NO fewer than 36 of those points have come from flying winger Peter Fox, who like Sullivan has also enjoyed a month to remember.

The York-born Leeds loanee was just pipped in the Knights Player of the Month poll following his stunning return of nine tries in the four games in April.

The young speedster scored one in the Powergen Challenge Cup win at Oldham, then doubled that return in the breathtaking comeback at Keighley, then doubled it again in a four-try show against Sheffield, which earned him the Evening Press man of the match accolade.

The last game of the month, the remarkable hammering of Dewsbury, brought two more tries for Fox, which lifted him into second place in the National League Two try-scoring charts and joint-fifth throughout the professional National League. This table includes tries in the cup competitions, with Fox, who now has 12, lying three behind leader Matt Bramald of Keighley Cougars.

Knights coach Mick Cook had high praise for his Leeds Academy protg. "Peter Fox works tremendously hard at his game," he said. "We've been getting the ball out there a lot more recently and he's got the pace and ability to finish the tries off from long-range as well as short-range."

Fox's centre partner, Dan Potter, is also hot on his heels. The Flying Postman's hat-trick against Dewsbury took him up to seven tries for the month, taking his season's tally to nine.

Cook added: "Their partnership is reaping rewards. They're committed players, they work very hard on kick chases - I would like to think those two as a chase team are up there speed-wise with those in Super League - and they're both getting tries."

Next in the Knights' try-scoring charts this term is centre Neil Law, with seven, while a couple of players, Chris Levy and John Smith, are on four.

TALKING of points, former York hero Brad Davis passed the 1,000 career points mark in British club rugby league with a try in Castleford's LHF NL1 win at Barrow.

As reported in this column last week, the Aussie ace was nearing the milestone having scored 101 points for York, 495 for Wakefield, 100 for Hudder-sfield, and now 306 for Cas.

THE fact the Knights' greatly improved form has been right across the pitch is highlighted by seven different players picking up Evening Press/Collier Plant Hire Player of the Year points in the last two weeks.

It is also shown in the fact that Player of the Month Adam Sullivan, well ahead in the standings, had to settle for three points only, the three received for winning the April accolade.

Back-rower Ian Kirke - who caused Dewsbury countless problems last week, not least with the season's most eye-opening try, his length-of-the-field effort - picked up the maximum three against the Rams, with hat-trick man Dan Potter taking two points for his ten-out-of-ten show.

Pretty much anyone else could lay claim to points this week, but the remainder went to Jon Liddell, who was superb at full-back, especially under a few spiralling bombs, and equalled Danny Brough's Knights record of 11 goals in a match.

Against Sheffield the previous week, Peter Fox took the man of the match accolade and thus the three player of the year points after his four-try haul, with Jim Elston collecting two points and back-to-form prop Yusuf Sozi one.

Again, several players could count themselves unlucky not to have got points, not least Chris Levy, who silenced his critics with a fine two-try show at scrum-half.

Latest standings: Sullivan 16 points, Smith 9, Kirke 8, Blaymire 6, Rhodes 5, Jackson 5, Buckenham 5, Fox 4, Paterson 3, Potter 3, Ross 3, Friend 2, Liddell 2, McDowell 2, Elston 2, Cain 2, Watson 2, Law 1, Callaghan 1, Sozi 1.

SPOTTED in town the other day: Knights star Darren Callaghan - wearing a St Helens shirt.

The Supporters Club buses running to the Challenge Cup tie away to Saints on Friday will pick up from Huntington Stadium and New Lane only, unless there is enough demand for one to go through town.

They will depart the stadium at 4pm and New Lane at 4.05pm and, if there is sufficient demand, another will leave the stadium at 4.30pm.

Bookings must be received by the Knights club office (01904 758234) or the Supporters Club mobile (07958 569266) by Tuesday evening.

Updated: 10:35 Saturday, April 30, 2005