York City Knights 18, Keighley Cougars 42

Unfortunately, it was the wily old foxes wearing Cougars kit, including a few former Wildcats, that ultimately had a bigger say on proceedings.

Match officials turned up to find a big hole near the 20-metre line at the hammer-cage end dug by an unwanted guest. However, while this got filled in, bigger holes were created in the home defence by the scheduled visitors from West Yorkshire, and they took full advantage to overturn an 18-0 deficit and romp to a 42-18 victory.

From a Knights perspective, some of their early play was among their best this season, belying their injury-hit condition. Two of their three scores were try-of-the-season contenders.

Indeed, for a time it had the home faithful in dreamland. However, although it didn’t quite turn into a nightmare, they certainly awoke with a jolt as reality kicked in and their side, again, were left seeking that first win of the Championship campaign.

York’s opening try on six minutes was the pick. Paul King and Chris Thorman surprised the Cougars by spinning the ball wide left deep in their own half, where James Ford and George Elliott – looking an increasingly potent centre-wing partnership – made good ground. Elliott then found Thorman on his inside and, while he initially appeared unable to feed the other support runners, he got the ball out of the tackle for Jack Lee to run home.

Three minutes later, superb hands on the right by Jordan Tansey and Adam Sullivan saw Matt Garside send in Tom Bush.

All looked good defensively too. A few penalties for Keighley, plus a couple of errors by full-back Tansey, gave the visitors ball in the danger zone but they could not break through and, at the other end, Brett Turner’s sharp pass to Garside brought a second try for Bush and a third conversion for Thorman.

Turner when deployed at scrum-half has shown occasional sharp wit, like at this moment, to break through defences, notwithstanding the fact he prefers to play at hooker and only took back the number seven shirt yesterday due to Ben Johnston’s broken thumb.

However, player-boss Thorman continues to take on the bulk of the playmaking duties, at times going all over the park to organise and create. His man-of-the-match award from match sponsors Shepherd Group should act as personal encouragement, but taking on so much responsibility probably has its downsides.

The Knights certainly needed someone else to help get a grip on proceedings once the game started to turn.

The changearound coincided with the ‘spelling’ of Player of the Month prop Adam Sullivan and hugely influential loose-forward Paul King, coupled with the entrance of Keighley sub forwards Brendon Rawlins and Jason Demetriou and then Wales international Danny Jones.

Rawlins and player-coach Demetriou helped the Cougars begin to get on top – Demetriou just going on the pitch had a positive influence on his side – while Jones, a fourth ball-player in their 17, helped his team to ask the Knights a number of questions they could not answer.

The likes of scrum-half Sam Obst, Demetriou, loose-forward Paul March, the former Knights player-coach, sub prop Michael Korkidas and dangerous winger Semi Tadulala – all ex-Wakefield Wildcats stars – then all came into their own.

The Cougars certainly benefit from having a strong bench, with players who can maintain or lift momentum or turn a game in their favour.

Conversely, the Knights seemed to drop a level when the likes of King, Sullivan, hooker Jack Lee and pocket battleship Jack Aldous had spells on the sidelines, as they lost old know-how plus Aldous’ verve.

They had the surprise boost of having 2011 Player of the Year prop Nathan Freer back on the bench after he declared his fitness late on and was preferred to club captain Alex Benson, likewise fit again, but his influence was not as stark.

York’s other subs – hooker Kris Brining, Adam Howard and Dave Sutton, new to the pack – are still learning their trades.

As it happened, the Knights began to miss a few tackles, and more so, allowed Keighley to show their abilities at offloading – effectively turning sets of six tackles in sets of seven, eight or nine tackles, which ultimately takes its toll.

Keighley got on the scoreboard on 29 minutes as Obst sent in James Haythornthwaite and they were level by half-time as Danny Lawton turned Turner, Garside and Bush inside out before sending in Tadulala, and Richie Barnett got through Rhys Clarke’s tackle and sent Obst sprinting home.

In between times, Haythornthwaite had a try ruled out as referee Dave Merrick had already blown for a high tackle by Tansey, while Bush somehow turned Tadulala on his back over the whitewash.

However, the Cougars continued their new-found dominance throughout the second half and further tries came from Tadulala, Craig Moss, Lawton, after Bush had attacked a Jones grubber kick but missed it, and, on the final hooter, one-time York youngster Jy-Mel Coleman. Lawton ended with five conversions plus two second-half penalties awarded against Freer and King.

Match facts

Knights: Tansey 6, Bush 6, Ford 7, Garside 6, Elliott 7, Thorman 7, Turner 6, Sullivan 7, Lee 6, Aldous 7, Clarke 5, Smith 6, King 7.

Subs (all used): Brining 6, Sutton 5, Freer 6, Howard 6.

Tries: Lee 6; Bush 9, 24.

Conversions: Thorman 6, 9, 24.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Keighley: Moss, Barnett, Haythornthwaite, Lawton, Tadulala, Coleman, Obst, Shickell, Feather, Cherryholme, Pursglove, R Jones, March.

Subs (all used): Demetriou, D Jones, Korkidas, Rawlins.

Tries: Haythornthwaite 29; Tadulala 31, 43; Obst 40; Moss 60; Lawton 70; Coleman 80.

Conversions: Lawton 29, 31, 40, 43, 80.

Penalties: Lawton 58, 66.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Jack Aldous – the pocket battleship was mistake-free and busy and competitive throughout.

Referee: Dave Merrick (Castleford) – generally quite good, despite a one-sided penalty count.

Penalties: 4-10.

Half-time: 18-18.

Attendance: 918.

Weather: sunny and pretty hot but with tricky wind.

Moment of the match: the Knights’ first try – with a move from deep in their own half involving Paul King, Chris Thorman, James Ford, George Elliott, Thorman again, and Lee, who scored – was possibly their best this season.

Gaffe of the match: the inordinate number of offloads York allowed Keighley to get out of tackles.

Match-breaker: York’s hopes had pretty much gone when a Danny Lawton penalty on 66 minutes took them out of bonus point range at 32-18.

Match rating: entertaining rugby by York for 25 minutes and thereafter by Keighley.