Knights 32, Chorley 18

This season, they've enjoyed an even better ATC, winning a place in Wednesday's hat for the quarter-final play-offs, and they have gone into the league season in even better spirits - but it's fair to say there were a few fears yesterday that history would repeat itself.

Chorley Lynx, like Gateshead last year, were expected to roll over at Huntington Stadium but, rather than collapse underneath the Knights' juggernaut, they performed admirably and gave Richard Agar's men a bit of a scare.

Indeed, when they scored two tries early in the second half to take the lead, there was an air of groundhog day dread among an anxious crowd.

Nevertheless, the Knights, despite looking more sluggish and less intense than in previous weeks, upped a gear when they needed to, retook the lead with two rapid-fire tries in retaliation and proceeded to grind out a win, which could well prove crucial in terms of getting up and running given that last year's Gateshead game was followed by a four-match win-less start to the campaign which ultimately affected their play-off chances.

Home expectancy levels, already high at kick-off, rose when the game's first attack saw Danny Brough immediately on the scoresheet with a penalty for reefing.

But Brough's next kick, an attempted 40-20, went out on the full and from the attacking scrum Chorley full-back Lee Patterson strolled through some woeful tackling to score.

Knights fans have been used to bright starts at Huntington Stadium but this one was largely uninspiring as reflected by the subdued atmosphere.

However, it was solid enough - apart from that soft try - and on 17 minutes two penalties took play downfield where Scott Rhodes' arcing run stretched the defence with Damian Ball breaking through, Brough goaling.

Rhodes' next contribution was to deny Martin Gambles an 80-yard interception try with an excellent cover tackle but referee Ben Thaler strangely deemed it high and sin-binned the stand-off. In his absence, Chorley scored from a fine handling move down the left, finished off by Chris Ramsdale's deft dive.

Chorley were providing a sterner test than perhaps anticipated after the clubs' respective ATC exploits but York - also hit by the departure of in-form winger Alex Godfrey to a hamstring injury - nevertheless went back ahead as another driving run by Yusuf Sozi set the scene and Lee Jackson's short-side pass saw Darren Callaghan spin over. Brough converted from the touchline and York, despite not setting the place alight, led 14-8.

Another penalty against Chorley for offside saw Jamie Stenhouse sin-binned, apparently for dissent, and Brough made it 16-8 three minutes before the break.

Chorley hit back four minutes after the interval when good hands ended with winger Steve Ormesher barging through Scott Walker to cross. However, there were 13 Lynx players on the field when the conversion was attempted, so whether Stenhouse served his full ten minutes is in question.

That said, there was no protest from home factions, although the silent cries of apprehension increased when Martin Gambles jinked over for a fine individual try, with Chorley's only conversion putting the visitors ahead, 18-16.

But Chorley's lead lasted barely three minutes as Rhodes showed and dummied cross-field before giving Walker the chance to wriggle over by the flag, and then Brough read Gambles like a book, intercepted his pass and sprinted 60 yards home, his conversion putting York two scores ahead.

And when Jim Elston nipped over from dummy-half late on, Brough goaling, it was clearly game over.

Okay, it wasn't overly pretty and it didn't quite get the pulses racing, but at least it wasn't another Gateshead.

Match facts:

LHF Healthplan

National League Two

Monday, April 12, 2004

at Huntington Stadium

Knights 32, Chorley 18

Knights: Graham 6, Walker 6, Langley 6, Cain 7, Godfrey 6, Rhodes 7, Brough 7, Forsyth 7, Jackson 8, Sozi 8, Callaghan 9, Friend 8, Ball 8. Subs (all used): Elston 6, Stewart 6, Rams-den 7, J Smith 6.

Tries: Ball 17; Callaghan 28; Walker 54; Brough 57; Elston 74.

Conversions: Brough 17, 28, 57, 74.

Penalties: Brough 1, 37.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Rhodes 21.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Darren Callaghan - followed up his fired-up display at Featherstone on Friday with another terrific hard-working effort.

Lynx: Patterson, Meade, Kilgannon, Stenhouse, Orme-sher, Ramsdale, Gambles, Parry, Roden, Hill, Redford, G Smith, Barton. Subs (all used): Rowley, Lomax, Murray, Alexander.

Tries: Patterson 6; Ramsdale 24; Ormesher 44; Gambles 51.

Conversion: Ramsdale 51.

Penalties: None.

Drop goal: None.

Sin-binned: Stenhouse 37

Sent off: None.

HT: 16-8

Ref: Ben Thaler (Wakefield)

Rating: Not too bad.

Penalty Count: 9-7.

Gamebreaker: Danny Brough's 57th-minute interception try put York two scores ahead and, although there was plenty of time left, Chorley never really threatened to retake the lead again.

Attendance: 1,204.

Weather watch: Dry, fresh.

Match rating: Not the most enthral-ling but it was more important to start the campaign with a win.

Updated: 10:23 Tuesday, April 13, 2004