IF York City Knights and Oldham do meet again in the Championship One play-offs in a few weeks’ time, neither will have learned too much from yesterday’s league match between the sides.

Knights boss Dave Woods looked at a few combinations both at half-back and out wide and tried a different formation with Danny Allan used as a ball-playing loose-forward. The team probably didn’t play as well as they would have liked either.

Oldham counterpart Tony Benson, meanwhile, omitted ace half-back Greg McNally, primarily to rest him but also no doubt to give York few clues as to how to combat the Huddersfield loanee should their paths cross again.

The changes were more risky for the Knights, however – and they will be praying they don’t pay for it.

Whereas the Roughyeds were guaranteed second place at least, the Knights were not sure of finishing third – the position which brings an away tie against the Roughyeds in the qualifying semi-final and a second bite of the cherry, at home to whoever comes through the other play-offs, should they lose that game.

In fact, if York lose at South Wales next week, they could potentially finish as low as seventh, even missing out on a home tie in the knockouts.

Furthermore, Oldham had fit-again schemer Neil Roden to come in for McNally, and he was the tormentor in chief, whereas the Knights’ new scrum-half, young Scott Woods, was merely quietly efficient, while Allan only flitted in and out of the game.

Ryan Esders was not nearly as influential as in his hat-trick debut at Swinton last week, either at centre or in the second-row, while Lee Waterman was rusty on his return from injury.

And as it was, the result, and in particular the failure to get a bonus point, meant the Knights dropped to fourth in the table – and now need to win next week and see other results go their way to grab third spot back.

Proceedings did not start too well for the hosts as goods hands down Oldham’s left saw winger John Gillam score, Roden’s half-back partner, Matty Ashe, adding the first of his five conversions.

But York hit back as Allan, in his free role, spotted space in behind and his kick sat up perfectly for left-winger Wayne Reittie to touch down by the flag, Danny Ratcliffe adding the first and best of his two conversions.

Reittie was one of four changes in Knights personnel.

He did okay, as did substitute prop Ben Parkinson, the debutant, who ran forward and direct every time he touched the ball.

Reittie had another try ruled out for a knock-on by Esders, who would have scored himself had he taken the pass, before Oldham retook the lead.

Esders somehow prevented Ian Hodson touching down but, within moments, Roden reached out beyond three tacklers to score.

Again York hit back as substitute prop Jack Stearman steamed onto Jack Lee’s pass and scored with his first touch, but again Oldham re-took the lead as a great move saw Paul O’Connor cross.

All three of Oldham’s first-half tries came down the Knights’ right, which was curious given winger Dan Wilson was having one of his better games for the club – he diffused several Roden bombs and also made a few decent breaks – while further inside was ace tackler Luke Hardbottle at second-row. Hardbottle collected his Player of the Month award after the game.

Ratcliffe narrowed the deficit to 18-14 at half-time with a penalty, but his side piled pressure on themselves early in the second half with fumbles in their own half, surviving due to Oldham’s own poor handling, and due to a try-saving tackle on Gillam by full-back Ratcliffe after Neil Roden had run the last tackle.

The penalty count was eking up in the hosts’ favour, though, and they should have made more of it as they gleaned the upper hand.

Fine defence by Oldham denied Esders and Lee, while Hardbottle had a try ruled out after referee Peter Brooke deemed Wilson knocked forward Chris Thorman’s chip to the right corner.

Brooke further annoyed the home crowd with various other calls, not least missing countless forward passes, and a key decision of his was to penalise Jordan Ross for reefing rather than hand York the ball for a scrum following an Oldham knock-on.

With the tide turned, Oldham upped their lead on the hour-mark as they kept the ball alive well for Lucas Onyango to score.

Then, with York trying to hit back, an ill-thought out pass by the otherwise excellent Ratcliffe was picked off by Gillam, who sprinted 85 metres home.

A similarly risky but far better pass on the other side of the pitch, by Thorman, paid off as it caught Onyango in no-man’s land and saw Reittie fly home.

However, before then, another counter attack by Oldham reaped a drop-goal for Roden, and, while this amounted to only one point, it could be a massive point in the grand scheme of things as – allied to the fact Ratcliffe missed his last conversion attempt, plus a last-minute penalty by Ashe as York went for broke – it effectively denied the Knights the bonus point that could be crucial in the final reckoning.


Match facts

Knights: Ratcliffe 7, Reittie 7, Mitchell 6, Esders 6, Wilson 7, Thorman 7, Woods 6, Freer 6, Lee 7, Benson 6, Ross 7, Hardbottle 6, Allan 6.

Subs (all used): Waterman 6, Duckworth 6, Parkinson 7, Stearman 7.

Tries: Reittie 13, 75; Stearman 29.

Conversions: Ratcliffe 13, 29.

Penalties: Ratcliffe 40.

Drop goals: None.

Oldham: O’Connor, Onyango, St Hilaire, Fogerty, Gillam, N Roden, Ashe, Boults, M Roden, Kerr, Heaton, Chandler, Bentley.

Subs (all used): Ellison, Clarke, Hodson, Whitmore.

Tries: Gillam 5, 66; N Roden 26; O’Connor 32; Onyango 60.

Conversions: Ashe 5, 26, 32, 60, 66.

Penalties: Ashe 79.

Drop goals: N Roden 70.

Man of the match: Jordan Ross – not an easy one to pick but Ross’s hard work in attack and defence just gave him the nod.

Referee: Peter Brooke (Hull) – the penalty count was in York’s favour but he came up with several curious calls and missed countless forward passes by Oldham, and it was no surprise that York fans booed him off.

Penalty count: 12-6.

Weather watch: okay.

Half-time: 14-18.

Attendance: 770.

Moment of the match: Chris Thorman’s wonderful cut-out pass which caught Oldham winger Lucas Onyango in no-man’s land and sent Wayne Reittie flying in for his second try.

Gaffe of the match: Danny Ratcliffe marred an excellent display at full-back with an ill-conceived pass out to the wing, which was picked off for a crucial interception try by flying Oldham winger John Gillam.

Game-breaker: that Gillam interception try, which quickly followed another score on the counter attack, took Oldham 30-14 up with 14 minutes to play.

Match rating: not the best game but a good enough taster for the main dish that could yet follow between the sides in the play-offs.