JAMES RATCLIFFE hopes his York City Knights side have “turned the corner” after they ended their winless streak away from home in thrilling style.

The recalled Dennis Tuffour scored a solo try nearly three minutes into stoppage time to give the Knights a 34-28 Championship One victory away to joint-leaders Oldham at the end of a remarkable game.

It was the Knights’ first win in four league outings on the road, and the only defeat in eight league games for the high-flying Roughyeds – who had forward Wayne Kerr sent off in the second half.

And York head coach Ratcliffe, having seen his side throw away a 14-point lead in a morale- sapping defeat at home to Swinton last week, hoped they could now kick on up the table – continuing with victory in the hotly-anticipated clash with arch-rivals Hunslet next week.

He described yesterday’s result as “relieving”.

“It’s not easy going back into the dressing rooms when you know we’ve come up short,” he said. “We’ve come up with errors again but what we showed differently was character and desire defensively, and that is all you can ask of the players.”

The Knights led 24-16 at half-time but they had been the victims of second-half comebacks in the last two weeks, and Oldham had the slope advantage after the break.

“We said to the players let’s go out and attack them, complete our sets, come up the park and get to a kick finish,” said Ratcliffe. “We didn’t do that a number of times but we showed a lot of character, individually and as a team. It was a really good effort.

“Two weeks ago I think we would have (lost the game). Last week we did blow it. But that’s the change. We can push on from here if they’re willing to work hard, have that desire and be unselfish – we can get the results.”

It was the first rugby league game to be played at Oldham’s new Whitebank Stadium, which only just passed minimum Rugby Football League standards.

Ratcliffe said his team coped with it well, overcoming various knocks – Lee Waterman (ankle) and Richard Blakeway (groin) were among those needing treament – while hooker Jack Lee played despite a virus which caused vomiting overnight.

“It wasn’t a good surface,” said Ratcliffe. “It’s bone hard and there are a few turned ankles.

“Jordan Ross has come up with 75 minutes when he should’ve come off (for a rest) after 60, John Fallon did two big stints, Brett Waller the same. We’ve matched them up front. We felt we could beat them on the edges if we get into good field position and that was the case.”

Oldham fans bemoaned referee Peter Brooke’s decision to send off Kerr while putting a later tackle by Brett Waller on report, rather than show another red card.

But the Roughyeds were 11-8 winners on the penalty count, and Ratcliffe countered: “I think loads went against us. I thought it (the sending-off) was a straight red.”