BARROW coach Peter Roe has often claimed York were the biggest spending National League Two club and were thus the favourites for promotion.

He did so again yesterday in his post-match press conference, when he also suggested the Knights were benefiting from links with Leeds Rhinos.

Perhaps it's an attempt to increase pressure on Richard Agar's men or maybe reduce expectation in south Cumbria, or perhaps it's an innocent opinion.

But either way, it was his side who went into the game unbeaten in the league and on the back of a seven-match winning run, and at 16-0 up within 18 opening minutes. It was his side who held all the cards.

The Raiders were even dealt a few jokers throughout by a referee whose interpretations of events more often than not favoured the home team.

However, the Knights had a few tricks up their sleeves, several kings in the deck and a few aces on the bench, and when added together they ended up with a right royal flush.

As turnarounds go, it was pretty comprehensive. Barrow had of course enjoyed a similar success two weeks ago when they trailed Keighley 20-0 in their Arriva Trains Cup tie before winning 32-20, but the boot was on the other foot yesterday as Agar's troops scored 30 unanswered points, showing a belief and a steely resolution that will do nothing but increase optimism among the faithful.

Confidence in the Raiders camp must have been sky-high, yet they were nilled for the last hour, initially because the Knights simply wouldn't give them the ball and later because of a defence so impermeable that water would have had difficulty finding a gap.

It hadn't looked too tight early on, however.

Scott Walker made a great try-saving tackle but the reprieve was short-lived as Darren Holt kicked through and, as Damian Ball shepherded the ball out, Whitehead nipped in to score.

Holt's boot set up the next try too as his bomb was spilled by Mark Stewart - under pressure from Barry Pugh who looked offside - and Dave Clark benefited, Holt adding his second goal.

York were not out of it but Barrow forced mistakes whenever they threatened and the home attack bristled with confidence, never more so than when rapid winger Adam Pate sped 50 yards for a brilliant third try.

Few teams will come back from 16-0 against the Raiders this year but, incredibly, York did so within eight magnificent minutes.

The Knights had started the game with second-row Mick Ramsden back in the line-up, with Darren Callaghan switching to centre and Aaron Wood dropping out.

The reshuffle had little to do with the game's opening, but the visitors needed to find new impetus from somewhere and, while the likes of Simon Friend and Richard Wilson upped their output, the introduction of Mark Cain gave them new ideas, and the renewed effort in the forwards set the platform from which the likes of Lee Jackson and Scott Rhodes, quiet early on, began to direct with aplomb.

Firstly, Friend - linked with a move to Salford last week - busted one tackle and showed Super League strength to get over, Brough converting. Then Jackson switched to the short side and Callaghan took the half chance in the corner.

More brilliance by Jackson created the next try as he delayed the pass expertly for Rhodes to dart through and give a clever ball to Cain to touch down his first try of the season.

Danny Brough missed a tricky penalty as York kept the pressure on but that did not halt the turnaround as the Knights still went ahead before the break, Chris Langley finishing brilliantly.

Home claims of crossing earlier in the move were shrugged aside by referee Phil Bentham and Brough's left boot made it 22-16.

Barrow continued to be starved of the ball early in the second half, with York increasing their lead six minutes in when Cain skilfully took control on the last tackle and sent up a wonderful kick to the corner, Walker winning the leap.

The penalty count thereafter began to favour Barrow again, and they came close when enormous winger Tame Wakelin just failed to take Holt's kick to the corner.

The pressure continued but some stunning defence - resolute doesn't do it justice - kept Barrow at bay, which was some achievement, especially when good home play and harsh penalties combined to keep the Raiders inside the Knights' 20 for several consecutive sets.

If that defence drained home hopes, then the Knights' final try applied the killer touch. Wakelin safely caught Brough's bomb but somehow lost the ball on the deck and Mark Stewart pounced.

The Knights' first-ever National League win came at Craven Park last season, a 27-20 triumph which kick-started their campaign, and the manner of yesterday's victory could have a similar invigorating effect.

Richard Agar's barmy army - which helped swell the Craven Park crowd into four figures - are marching on.

Knights: Graham 8, S Walker 8, Langley 8, Callaghan 8, Stewart 8, Rhodes 8, Brough 8, Wilson 8, Jackson 8, Sozi 8, Ramsden 7, Friend 8, Ball 7. Subs (all used): Elston 8, Cain 8, J Smith 6, Forsyth 8

Tries: Friend 24; Callaghan 28; Cain 32; Langley 39; Walker 46; Stewart 67.

Cons: Brough 24, 32, 39. Pens: None. Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Raiders: Bower, Beach, Reid, Jones, Pate, Archer, Holt, Dancer, Clark, Wilcock, Whitehead, King, Pugh. Subs (all used): McClure, Wakelin, Lupton, Luxon.

Tries: Whitehead 6; Clark 11; Pate 18.

Conversions: Holt 6, 11.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Holt 77.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Simon Friend - effort, strength, determination and energy in abundance, all rolled into one bulky Australian package.

HT: 16-22

Ref: Phil Benthan (Blackpool).

Rating: The penalty count shows which way the 50-50 decisions went.

Penalty Count: 12-7.

Gamebreaker: Arguably York's first try which set them on their way or the last which killed Barrow's remaining hopes.

Attendance: 1,048.

Weather watch: mild, hazy sun.

Match rating: a worrying opening quarter, but magnificent final hour.

Updated: 10:11 Monday, May 10, 2004