The controversial dismissal of captain Stuart Flowers spawned a stunning escape to victory for York Rugby League Club.

The 12-man Wasps were facing embarrassing defeat by basement side Doncaster Dragons before conjuring four tries in a thrilling final 17 minutes at Belle Vue last night.

Try scorers Alex Godfrey, Shaun Austerfield, Jamie Benn and Paul White came to the rescue as the visitors overhauled a 20-6 deficit.

A ragged opening from the Wasps allowed the Dragons to forge into a commanding lead. But the dismissal of second rower Flowers for an alleged high tackle stirred his side, who instigated an incredible turn around.

Celebration of York's victory, which puts them joint top of the Second Division and in White Rose Championship contention, was tempered by sympathy for the Dragons, who collapsed from a similar 22-6 lead to lose 28-22 at home to Batley seven days earlier.

Vivid memories of that second half slide clearly haunted the Dragons players, whose confidence rapidly ebbed away as the York comeback unfolded.

But the Dragons had earlier belied their basement status by opening up a 14-6 half-time lead, despite the Wasps making early inroads with Leigh Deakin's 12th try of the season.

The winger intercepted Mark Cain's pass, which was intended for Shaun Austerfield, and juggled with the ball before slipping through a wrong-footed defence.

A forward pass stopped Deakin in mid-stride as a second try beckoned in the ninth minute before a series of calamities befell the visitors.

Prop forward Glenn Bell steam-rollered full-back Cain before fellow front rower Gavin Morgan touched down, scrum-half John Edwards converting.

Cain, who picked up a knee injury in the act of halting Bell, had barely finished receiving treatment before the Dragons were in again.

Hooker Gareth Dobson knocked on from the restart, York fell for a blind side move from the scrum and Tony Miller's pass found Ian Watson on the left wing.

Substitute Jamie Benn replaced Cain to make his first appearance since re-signing from Castleford and he proved the value of his recent Super League experience.

A blood-bin change saw a battered Dobson replaced by Andy Precious and, shorn of a pivotal play-maker, the Wasps endured a ramshackle end to the half.

A series of moves ended in embarrassing errors and a further Dragons try was only prevented by an over eager slide by John Okul, the centre skidding through the in goal area without grounding the ball.

Benn's penalty, awarded for a high shot on Craig Booth, was cancelled out by Edwards after York were penalised for holding down.

With Darley receiving a stern word and being placed on report for a tackle on Gareth Pratt, the hooter could not come soon enough. A changing room roasting from coach Dean Robinson ensured the Wasps resumed fired-up, but a series of borderline tackles incurred the wrath of the crowd and referee Graham Shaw.

Booth was twice spoken to by the referee before being substituted, but the crowd's clamour resulted in Flowers seeing red.

Earlier action by the official may have calmed the situation but as it was the skipper was dismissed for a fairly innocuous tackle on Warren Wilson, who was already on his way to ground.

Edwards hit an upright with the subsequent penalty, but Alfie Goulbourne's 55th minute try extended Doncaster's lead to 20-6 and York's task appeared an impossible one.

But four tries in 17 minutes turned a woeful performance into a winning one, Godfrey beginning the revival with his fourth try of the campaign from Austerfield's pass.

A great ball out of the tackle by Benn allowed Austerfield to go in under the posts for a second try in under two minutes, Benn converting both to cut the gap to two.

Doncaster failed to cope with the momentum of the 12 men and when Mick Ramsden's pass was batted down, Benn was on hand to pick up and squeeze in at the corner to edge York ahead.

A combination of Paul Darley's kick and Godfrey's chase forced Doncaster to drop out from under their posts in the final minutes.

And substitute Paul White, making his first Wasps appearance for more than four years, finished off a shattered home side by scoring from Booth's pass.

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