YORK City Knights games should come with a Government health warning.

Last week's last-minute drop-goal win over Gateshead was one thing, but this, in the biggest game of the LHF National League Two season, was something else.

Second-placed Dewsbury, many people's favourites for the sole promotion spot, led 14-0 at half-time and seemed set to leapfrog York at the top of the table.

But a second half full of passion, belief, guts and mental toughness saw the Knights fight back to win in another mesmerising finale.

Indeed, if last week's win was heart-stopping, then this was heart-stop-start-stopping.

It all puts the Knights firmly in the box seat in the title race and gave boss Mick Cook, 44 today, the perfect birthday present.

There were four minutes on the clock when Chris Levy - who turned around a poor individual first half - took a difficult pass from Lee Jackson and in one movement slotted over a drop goal to give the Knights the lead for the first time.

But Dewsbury, who had their own drop-goal drama in a 15-15 draw at Workington last week, levelled two minutes later through Ged Corcoran.

That was not that, though, as Lee Paterson's restart bobbled out and, from the York scrum, the hosts were caught offside. The Knights should have gone for two points then, but had another chance when the Rams immediately flailed in with a high tackle. This time Chris Ross - taking over kicking duties as Paul Thorman was off with a cut eye - ignored the pressure to give his side a last-minute 17-15 lead.

It wasn't yet game over but when Jackson forced a knock-on from Dewsbury's short restart, York's final attack of the game ended with Darren Callaghan shooting on to Jim Elston's grubber to score in stoppage time.

Callaghan bounced up and ecstatically booted the ball as hard as he could amid wild celebrations which were something to behold - for those still able to watch.

Dewsbury were without key pivots Francis Maloney and Richard Chapman, even though boss Andy Kelly - in perhaps a bit of mind games - had suggested they would be fit to play. The Rams nevertheless had several other former Super League players in Darren Rodgers, Kevin Crouthers, Warren Jowitt and Corcoran, who was in the Halifax side that beat York in last year's promotion Grand Final.

And the replacement for Maloney, Alex Bretherton, gave them a second-minute lead when crashing over. It was a terrible try to concede, with Levy inexplicably letting the kick-off bounce and Dewsbury being awarded a penalty for offside.

It was fast and furious, with both teams making mistakes under the pressure. A few big hits were going in, too, and referee Mike Dawber had his work cut out to keep the peace.

Both sides were giving away too many penalties but those against York were in the wrong areas and Dewsbury went further ahead through Chris Hall and Crouthers, James Walker goaling the latter.

York had barely threatened and 14-0 seemed a big half-time lead to turn over against a form team intent on avenging their early-season Huntington Stadium hammering.

The Knights had struggled to gain any momentum and, while their defence did its bit to restrict Dewsbury to three close-range tries despite the Rams having good possession and territory, they needed to improve their attack - which they did.

Their completion rate increased from a paltry 35 per cent to 75 per cent and they managed to make some half-breaks around the fringes, most notably when a wonderful charge by Potter, taken on by Levy, set up a try for Elston against his former club, Thorman goaling.

It was still nip and tuck on the hour mark and it grew ever more apparent that the next try would be crucial. So it proved.

The Knights threw the ball about a bit more, at times riskily, but it paid off when Thorman's grubber was dived on in the corner by Neil Law. Dewsbury angrily queried the grounding but the touch judge was on the spot and had no doubt.

Six minutes later, great feet from John Smith and Potter created a gap for Peter Fox to dart through and equal Chris Langley's Knights record of 21 tries in a season in fitting style with the equaliser, the wild celebrations for which set a marker for later on.

Thorman, last week's hero with the boot, missed the gettable conversion, but the late fun and frolics were only just beginning.

LHF National League Two

Sunday, July 31, 2005

at Tetley's Stadium

Knights: Blaymire 9, Ross 8, Potter 9, Law 8, Fox 8, Levy 7, P Thorman 8, Forsyth 7, Jackson 8, Sullivan 8, Smith 9, Kirke 8, Paterson 9. Subs (all used): Elston 9, Callaghan 9, Helme 8, Sozi 8.

Tries: Elston 45; Law 62; Fox 68; Callaghan 80.

Conversions: P Thorman 45; Ross 80.

Penalties: Ross 79

Drop goals: Levy 76.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Dewsbury: Preece, Rodgers, Hall, Crouthers, Fairbank, Bretherton, Sheridan, Hicks, Woolford, M Walker, Jowitt, Corcoran, Rudder. Subs (all used): Morley, Kelly, J Walker, Lockwood.

Tries: Bretherton 2; Hall 17; Crouthers 38.

Conversions: J Walker 38.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: Corcoran 78.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Dan Potter - set up York's first try with a great break and the equalising try with great feet, had a claim for the fourth try, and put in a mammoth tackling stint throughout.

Referee: Mike Dawber (Wigan).

Rating: Did okay in the circumstances, with both sides awarded their fair share of 50-50 decisions.

Penalty count: 6-11.

HT: 14-0.

Gamebreaker: There were several until Chris Ross's last-minute penalty and Darren Callaghan's stoppage-time try.

Attendance: 1,884.

Weather watch: good for rugby

Match rating: Too many mistakes from both sides to call it a classic in a pure sense but it had everything and more. A breathtaking spectacle and heart-stopping victory to boot.

Updated: 10:35 Monday, August 01, 2005