Knights 60, Sheffield Eagles 10

The City Knights hammered Sheffield 60-10 at Huntington Stadium -- by far the Eagles' biggest defeat since a 62-12 Arriva Trains Cup loss to Batley in March 2003 -- in an 11-try party which sets down a marker for the rest of their NL2 season.

And ten of those tries came down York's right-hand side, with winger Peter Fox leading the way with four, including a first half hat-trick.

Coach Mick Cook said he had not particularly pinpointed Sheffield's left-defence as a possible weakness, but it was made to look pretty ordinary in an utterly dominant Knights display high on skill and low on errors.

Nonetheless, there is a downside for Cook -- a selection headache ahead of next week's potential firecracker with unbeaten Dewsbury, who will provide a much sterner examination.

Much of his thoughts will regard his half-back pairing. Scott Rhodes is likely to return after resting a couple of niggles yesterday, but both Paul Thorman and Chris Levy stated their claims for the other shirt, while Lee Paterson, who switched from stand-off to loose-forward yesterday, is also a candidate.

Thorman and Levy controlled play behind a prominent pack and improved the Knights' kicking game no end.

Both got on the scoreboard too, with Thorman booting eight goals -- saving much of his sharp-shooting for the more difficult kicks -- while Levy notched two tries and indeed helped get the scoreboard rolling when feeding right-centre Dan Potter, who took three defenders over the line.

Knights were on top early on but, following Sheffield's first break and a Fox try-saving tackle on Aled James, the Eagles upped the pressure with three consecutive sets on the home line, and Nick Turnbull eventually spun over, teenage half-back John Crawford goaling.

The Knights regained control, though, and excellent quick hands through half the team ended with Fox crossing in the corner. The winger then collected Thorman's fine cross-field bomb, albeit as the defence stood and stared, to dart over again.

Thorman added a penalty goal following a high tackle on Yusuf Sozi -- who had a major impact in the game, blasting into tacklers in probably his best performance of the season -- before the Eagles' left-defence made a right hash of a Levy up-and-under for the Aussie scrum-half to follow up and touch down.

Family ties helped Fox complete his 18-minute treble as a lightning quick attack ended with full-back Jonny Liddell firing a superb miss-pass out to his cousin to take low down and cross.

Jim Elston was denied an individual score in the same corner on the half-time hooter, being held up over the line, but it wasn't long before that hapless defence was breached again.

Substitute full-back Greg Hurst tried to shepherd Liddell's low kick out of play only for the ball to spin back between his legs and into the in-goal area, for Fox to sprint up and touch down.

Hurst fumbled the next bomb and, after Levy was held short at the posts, York had something like a 13-man overlap for Liddell to score their only try down the left flank.

There was an immediate swing back to the right as John Smith dived over before Potter flew downfield and passed inside for Levy to cross.

Elston then joined in the fun with a remarkable individual try from half-way -- he broke down the inside left but continued the right-sided theme by crossing that side of the sticks -- before the Knights sliced through brilliantly for Simon Friend to complete a breathtaking sequence of six tries in 16 minutes of champagne rugby, beating the spectacular six in 18 minutes in last week's fantastic fight-back at Keighley.

There was still a quarter of the game to go, but the home scoring was over as Sheffield battled on while the Knights perhaps took their foot off the gas. As the excitement died down, Hurst's decent try at the other end was met with complete silence.

Knights 60, Sheffield Eagles 10

LHF National League Two

Sunday, April 17, 2005

at Huntington Stadium

Knights: Liddell 8, Fairfield 6, Potter 8, Law 7, Fox 9, P Thorman 8, Levy 8, Smith 8, Jackson 7, Sullivan 8, Ward 7, Kirke 6, Paterson 7. Subs (all used): Elston 9, Callaghan 8, Friend 8, Sozi 9.

Tries: Potter 5; Fox 17, 24, 35, 46; Levy 31, 55; Liddell 49: Smith 52; Elston 59; Friend 62.

Conversions: P Thorman 5, 17, 35, 52, 55, 59, 62. Penalties: P Thorman 29.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Eagles: Stott, Mills, A Dickinson, Veamatahau, De Chenu, Pearson, Crawford, Howieson, Stanley, Lynch, Turnbull, Rice, James. Subs (all used): Hurst, S Dickinson, Pitt, Chapman.

Tries: Turnbull 10; Hurst 74. Conversions: Crawford 10. Penalties: None. Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Peter Fox -- there were several candidates but it is hard to overlook a four-try effort, including a first-half hat-trick that set the Knights on their way to a big win.

Referee: Jamie Leahy (Dewsbury). Rating: Should probably have carded an Eagle or two for their persistent fouling but, apart from a few dodgy knock-on decisions, was generally okay.

Penalty count: 12-3.

HT: 28-6.

Gamebreaker: Peter Fox's first-half hat-trick on the back of a dominant team performance set the platform for the big win, while his first after the break killed any comeback chances.

Attendance: 1,596.

Weather watch: Pretty breezy.

Match rating: Dominant York display made for a one-sided game, though the Knights entertained with dazzling skills and, for a second half spell, a bit of fantasy rugby.

Updated: 10:37 Monday, April 18, 2005