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

As reported on www.thepress.co.uk yesterday, York’s second string were already down to 16 players before kick off as Tom Bush was withdrawn from the side having been called up for the first team’s Championship match against Dewsbury 24 hours later. Bush’s call-up followed the late omission of half-back Danny Nicklas, who returned to parent club Hull for their Super League match against Huddersfield tomorrow.

And then, in addition to that loss, Ed Smith, who had also been playing for a place in last night’s 17, suffered an elbow injury and had to leave the field. It is not yet known how long he will be ruled out for.

Fellow second-row Rhys Clarke, who was likewise playing for a shirt last night, was then withdrawn from the action at Oldham for tactical reasons as the coaching staff rested him prior to the first-team game.

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 depleted ranks were unable to prevent the home team running riot thereafter.

Clarke still returned to the fray late on in order to give hooker Kris Brining a breather, with Brining having also been in line to play some part last night.

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

IT is Player of the Month time again and we are polling votes of Press readers for their top Knights player throughout June.

This month has brought the team’s first victory of the Championship campaign, at home to Swinton, a defeat at Sheffield, and last night’s match against Dewsbury.

Whoever tops the poll will win three bonus Press Player of the Year points.

The players to pick up points last night were man-of-the-match Tom Bush (3), James Ford (2) and John Davies (1).

Against Sheffield last week, the winners were Davies (3), Ford (2) and George Elliott (1).

The Press Player of the Year standings: Aldous 18pts, Sullivan 15, Ford 13, King 9, Thorman 7, Tansey 7, Clarke 5, Bush 7, Elliott 4, Sutton 4, Garside 4, Davies 4, Green 3, Lee 3, Hellewell 3, Turner 3, Freer 3, Houston 3, Johnson 3, Nicklas 2.