York City Knights 12, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 26

A strong Wakefield side won 26-12 at Huntington Stadium and, while a few handling errors and a high penalty count were downsides, as was the fact Mark Blanchard needed stitches after a clash of heads, the work ethic and quality in defence were major pluses.

So, too, was the return to action of several players and the performances of Academy duo Tom Dunmore and Nathan Priestley.

Centre Chris Spurr played the full 80 minutes - his first appearance for over a year after a horror leg injury - while David Bates marked his return after six months out with a well-taken try, and fellow prop Craig Forsyth showed he had overcome his calf niggles with an eye-catching second-half break.

Mark Cain, who hadn't played since April and is coming back from shoulder surgery, also made his point in notable fashion - by picking a fight with giant Wakefield prop Darrell Griffin and Monty Betham, the man voted the last player NRL opponents would want to square up to. Betham, of all people, calmed things down.

Youngster Dunmore did well on the wing - though he wasn't tested too much - in place of Craig Farrell, who dropped out due to a slight neck injury, while second-row Priestley looked solid in his 25 minutes off the bench.

York enjoyed good tackling practice throughout the game, three times holding Wakefield attackers on their backs over the try-line in the first half.

But they struggled to make the hard yards. Jamie Bovill made his debut at prop and had a tough baptism as the Wildcats started with a predominantly Super League pack, plus three first-team backs, and had Kiwi international forward David Solomona in reserve.

Wakefield went ahead when a lucky bounce from a kick which home full-back Lee Lingard could not reach saw winger Gary North score, and then Aussie debutant Ned Catic shot through.

Referee Ashley Klein got in some whistling practice - 13 free-kicks in the first half tells its own story - and on the back of one, Paul White darted onto a deflected Betham kick to make it 16-0 at half-time.

York didn't get into the opposition 20 often and, when they did, failed to come up with a scoring play, their best chance in the first hour seeing big Joe Helme drop a good pass when an overlap looked on, with Wakefield going up the other end for Richard Catlin to cross on the back of another dodgy penalty.

The second half became a bit disjointed as the Knights struggled to complete sets and Klein's whistle interrupted proceedings but when Jimmy Elston, captain for the night, re-entered the fray and sped play up to the Wakefield line, Bates spun over by a post, Paul Thorman goaling.

The impressive Neil Law was held inches short as York sensed a spell of superiority, and then, with the best move of the night, Scott Rhodes and Paul Clarke set up Jon Liddell - again showing his versatility, having switched to loose-forward from hooker - to score.

Forsyth's break - the 35-year-old prop is getting faster with age - almost set up a try for Thorman, Bates' pass going forward, before Wakefield rounded things off with a scrappy try for Steve Lewis, Dunmore being unable to deal with a bobbling kick at his feet.

The missed conversion meant York at least won the second half.

Knights match facts

Rugby League Friendly

York City Knights 12, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 26

(at Huntington Stadium)

Knights: Lingard, Dunmore, Spurr, Law, Clarke, Rhodes, Hasty, Bovill, Elston, Helme, Buckley, Blanchard, Spicer. Subs used: Thorman, Cain, Forsyth, Liddell, Priestley, Bates, O'Loughlin. Not used: Blaymire. Tries: Bates 60; Liddell 67. Conversions: Thorman 60, 67.

Wildcats: Field, North, Whittle, Henderson, Childs, Ratcliffe, White, Griffin, Betham, Catic, Wrench, S Lewis, Field. Subs (all used): Tinsdale, Bunwell, Emmett, Solomona, C Lewis, Mockford, Catley.

Tries: North 15; Catic 19; White 31; Catlin 49; S Lewis 78. Conversions: Ratcliffe 19, 31, 49.

Referee: Ashley Klein (West Yorkshire).

Penalty count: 12-10

Attendance: 1,485.

Half time: 0-16

Updated: 10:23 Saturday, January 21, 2006