Newcastle 18-24 York City Knights: Five things we learnt

Here are five things we learnt from Kingston Park.

1. Missed opportunity for York

If this was an exercise in York City Knights building some momentum for the play-offs, then it felt like another chance gone begging.

While Newcastle deserve credit for their performance, York were again way short of the best seen during the first half of the season, which saw them win 13 of their first 16 Betfred Championship matches.

The Knights have now beaten Newcastle four times this season, yet this was the most narrowly-fought of all, the six-point margin being vastly less convincing than February's 42-13 Betfred Challenge Cup win or April's 38-6 home victory.

Since early June's 34-14 triumph at Sheffield Eagles, York have only once won by more than 12 points.

A comprehensive beating of already-relegated Workington Town on Sunday (3pm) is the last chance for some form-building before the division's best await in the play-offs in less than two weeks.

2. Still in with a chance of finishing higher

While York's play-off place has already been secured since the 100-4 rout at Leigh Centurions, their exact position inside the top six has not.

The Knights could still place fifth and set up an, on paper, easier trip to Batley Bulldogs in the quarter-finals rather than a visit to Halifax Panthers.

The two points at Newcastle were a must to keep up those hopes, which would only be achieved should York beat Workington and Barrow Raiders lose at London Broncos.

While London are 10th, 17 points behind Barrow, they sit sixth in the 10-match form table.

3. More system reshuffling needed

Having already lost first-choice prop forwards Masi Matongo and Pauli Pauli for the season, head coach James Ford spoke up York's differing playing style through utilising half-back Ata Hingano at loose forward.

How cruel then to see Hingano's season ended by an ankle injury less than five minutes into the clash at Newcastle.

While injuries have not harmed York anywhere near to the extent they did last year, that brings the tally of starters absent for the season up to four, including winger Will Oakes, leaving the Knights short, if not cripplingly so, for the play-offs.

4. Still seeking play five improvements

Speaking both after the 20-12 win over Sheffield and before York's trip to Newcastle, Ford spoke of the need for his side to finish sets better.

When asked if he had seen improvements in the play fives on Saturday night, "No" was his blunt reply.

That was understandable given that Liam Harris, who was the Knights' best player against Sheffield, in particular struggled to find the mark with his kicking.

If York are going to have any chance in the play-offs, they desperately need two of their three star half-backs - Harris, Brendan O'Hagan and Jamie Ellis - to stand up and be counted.

5. Ideal time for Inman's first try

Tom Inman saw his minutes limited on Saturday amid the injuries picked up by middles Hingano and Ronan Dixon.

Yet he fulfilled his interchange brief with a brilliant solo try late on to win the game for York, scooting over from close range out of dummy half.

For such a young player, still only 19, to have followed that up by telling assistant coach Ben Cockayne that he should have been brought on earlier, as Ford later told the press, displayed his increasing confidence in his first professional season.