IF York City Knights coach Mick Cook suffered a debut to forget with last week's opening day hammering at Castleford, then he can look back with much more pride on his first game on his new home patch.

His team battled away in horrid conditions to beat a gritty if uninspiring Hunslet side 34-6 at Huntington Stadium and get off the mark in the Northern Rail Cup.

However, it wasn't vintage stuff.

It was a scrappy contest and so stop-start that major new Knights signing Neil Law could have thought he was still playing rugby union.

The big centre, though, provided two of the bright points of the afternoon. He wasn't in the game much but scored a brace of tries which showed exactly why the Knights were so keen to bring him back to the club from Otley RUFC.

It was hardly the ideal conditions for open, running rugby, though. The cold, wind, rain and snow prevented either side from getting a rhythm and, whenever play did threaten to flow without a knock-on, proceedings were brought to halt by a foul, referee Jamie Leahy having little option in awarding 26 penalties.

The first, in the first minute for holding down, saw Jermaine Wray put Hunslet ahead, Ian Kirke having handed them possession in the second hit-up of the game.

Solid rugby and good defence pinned the visitors in their own half for 15 minutes only for another wind-assisted penalty to take play into the home ten yards where Wayne Freeman benefited from a long pass to cross.

Fears that the Hawks would continue their hoodoo sign over York following last season's double thus grew. But that was to be the end of their scoring.

York won the ball from a good restart and, after Hunslet were caught offside, Chris Ross began an excellent personal contribution by kicking the first of 14 points against his former club.

The utility back had been switched from centre to the wing in place of the injured Austin Buchanan as Cook changed things around.

Lee Paterson was moved to stand-off, Jon Liddell brought in at loose-forward against his former club, Paul Thorman dropped from the 17 and his fit-again brother Neil coming on to the bench. Jim Elston also started at hooker with Lee Jackson a sub.

The most notable inclusion, though, was that of Law and it was fitting that he should score the club's first try of the season, blasting on to a flat pass and storming to the line, Ross' first of five conversions putting York ahead.

The hosts thereafter benefited from several penalties - referee Leahy perhaps should have got a card out for the persistent infringing - to stay on top and, when Chris Levy gambled by running the last tackle, it paid off as he got the ball out for Dan Potter to finish well.

Darren Callaghan - excellent before coming off due to a minor knee knock - then had a try ruled out for offside, with the 14-6 half-time score not reflecting York's dominance.

That lead increased after the interval, though, as Mark Cass was penalised for disputing a knock-on decision by being sent to the sin-bin, Ross adding the two-pointer as the snow began to fall in Hunslet's faces.

Cass was just coming back on when York increased their lead as Liddell passed inside for John Smith - the youngster was superb as a stand-in prop - to score his first of a deserved brace.

His second, after Hunslet's Mark Moxon had seen a touchdown disallowed for a forward pass, was all about Lee Jackson. The substitute lit up a scrappy period with an imperious scoop at dummy-half which gave him forward momentum and the space to send Smith over again.

The last word, though, went to that man Law as he climbed highest to gather Liddell's perfect bomb and touch down his second of the match.

Northern Rail Cup

Sunday, September 20, 2005 at Huntington Stadium

Knights: Blaymire 7, Fox 6, Potter 6, Law 7, Ross 7, Paterson 7, Levy 6, Smith 8, Elston 7, Sullivan 7, Callaghan 7, Kirke 6, Liddell 6. Subs (all used): Jackson 6, N Thorman 6, Sozi 7, Buckenham 6.

Tries: Law 21, 71; Potter 31; Smith 53, 68.

Conversions: Ross 21, 31, 53, 68, 71.

Penalties: Ross 18, 44.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Hawks: Raynor, Hunter, A Gibbons, Redfearn, Morton, Thomas, Moxon, Staveley, Hawley, G Freeman, W Freeman, Cummins, Wray. Subs (all used): Cass, Mears, Carbutt, M Gibbons.

Try: W Freeman 16.

Conversions: None.

Penalty: Wray 1.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Cass 44. Sent off: None.

HT: 14-6.

Referee: Ben Thaler (Wakefield). Rating: gave lots of penalties and could have given more.

Penalty count: 14-12.

Gamebreaker: John Smith's first try on 53 minutes gave York a 16-point advantage and left Hunslet facing the wind, snow and a mountain the climb.

Attendance: 1,320.

Weather watch: damn cold, wind, rain and snow.

Match rating: Scrappy affair in terrible conditions.

Updated: 10:58 Monday, February 21, 2005