YORK City Knights suffered a new injury blow as the reserves crashed 60-14 at Oldham last night.

York’s second string were already down to 16 players before kick off as Tom Bush was withdrawn from the side having been called up for the first team’s Championship match against Dewsbury tonight. Bush’s call-up followed the late omission of Danny Nicklas, who has returned to parent club Hull for their match against Huddersfield this weekend.

But then Ed Smith, who was also playing for a place in tonight’s 17, suffered an elbow injury and had to leave the field. The 19-year-old, who has already had a number of injury knocks this season, has no chance of playing tonight.

Fellow second-row Rhys Clarke, who was likewise playing for a shirt tonight, was then withdrawn from the action as he is now almost certain to turn out against Dewsbury.

That left the Knights down to 14 men to rotate throughout the second half and, having been level at 14-14 shortly before the break, the home team were allowed to run riot thereafter.

Clarke still returned to the fray late on in order to give Kris Brining a breather, with Brining also possibly in line to play some part tonight.

York’s try-scorers were Brining, Sean Carmody and Jack Stearman, wth Callum Hannigan adding one goal.