YORK City Knights’ new under-18s team enjoyed an encouraging inaugural match when they came from 14-4 down just before half-time to win 28-24 at Keighley.

The Championship club have set up a new ‘extended scholarship’ section following an enforced modification of their junior set-up, and this game, on Monday, was their first outing on the field.

Rugby Football League rules do not allow extended scholarship teams to play league games but the list of friendlies lined up – next up are Leigh Centurions at home on Tuesday, July 19 (8pm) – are expected to provide a competitive edge.

The young Knights, selected from amateur clubs from all over North Yorkshire, are coached by first-team player and development officer Jack Stearman and North Yorkshire Service Area co-ordinator Nick Settle.

Stearman said: “It was the first time they had played together at that standard. They went away from what we asked them to do in the first half, but the second half was a different ball game.

“Keighley were a big set of lads and a lot of our squad have come from the (former) under-16s scholarship last year so we were giving a year or so away in age. It was a very good start for us.”

Matt Brewer, a half-back from Wetherby Bulldogs, got the Knights’ first try with an interception effort, but they were second best until the game changed around the interval.

Centre Ash Winstanley, who is on York’s open-age books, scored with the last play of the first half after a clever kick by Brewer, and speedy winger Jamie Baxter, a former sprinter and rugby union player from Brotherton, touched down after the first set of the second to give the visitors a 16-14 lead.

The Knights, now outplaying their hosts with fine defence and good ball retention, got two more tries after building pressure, through centre Scott Stevenson and back-rower Alex Hutchinson, both of whom come from Wetherby, before Keighley were allowed back into the game with two touchdowns.

Stand-off Anthony Chilton, of York Acorn, converted all of the Knights’ five tries, although the opening goal was bizarrely adjudged to have missed.

Chilton, Jack Law, from New Earswick All Blacks, Hutchinson and prop Joe Porter, from Acorn, who gave a superb second-half stint, stood out.