PAUL MARCH against James Ratcliffe. Paul March against David March. Paul March against Gareth Moore.

This Championship One game could have been billed in several ways – all surrounding York City Knights’ former player-coach.

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Unfortunately for the Knights, it was Paul March who came out on top, along with his new Hunslet side, in a game which can only be described as dross.

Sacked by York for gross misconduct a few short weeks ago, it was March who kept his composure while his former charges lost theirs on his eagerly anticipated return to Huntington Stadium.

Not least Rob Kelly, whose moment of madness was the lowlight on a dark day. The second-row was sent off after 17 minutes for lamping Stuart Young, sending the Hawks stand-off flying amid a little bout of fisticuffs which also saw team-mate Gareth Moore – March’s replacement as York’s scrum-half – and Hunslet’s former Knight, Darren Robinson, sin-binned.

The Knights were already trailing 8-0 by then, and while a decent performance could have seen them claw their way back, the 12 men were not up to it against a side who were not much better but were fired up by their new player-coach.

Indeed, birthday boy March – he and twin David, the Knights’ loose-forward who still hasn’t beaten his brother in a competitive game, turned 30 on Saturday – also rubbed salt in the wounds with a try topped off by the kind of self-satisfied celebration the York faithful previously enjoyed.

It seemed, thus, that March won all the mind games.

Not that his new side played well, in fact they were poor, not least with ill-discipline, but his former side were terrible, taking no advantage of the 16 penalties that came their way and giving their most slipshod, disjointed performance of the season.

The pivots created little and often took wrong options – hopefully this doesn’t go to show March was indispensable in that department – but then they were given little chance to threaten, with so many handling errors early in the tackle count and little possession in the danger zone.

The statistics showed York’s completion rate was around 50 per cent – though that seemed surprisingly high – and Hunslet’s wasn’t much better.

Both side’s kicking games were largely aimless, too, and the biggest surprise of the day was that York actually got a try, breaking their duck with nine minutes to go when it had seemed as if they could have played all day without scoring – which is a bizarre thing to say about a side averaging 31 points per game this term.

It should have been a day for York to feel inspired. Not only did they need the points for their promotion push, but they should have wanted to play well against their old coach – if they did, they got lost in the occasion of it all.

They should also have been moved by the minute’s silence marking the death this week of York legend Vic Yorke, while they should have been stirred by the half-time parade of the 1981 Division Two title-winning side, who were reunited for the first time since then.

That at least gave York fans a welcome chance to reminisce about better times – they certainly won’t be waxing lyrical about this performance.

Two away tries in the first nine minutes set the tone. Scott Watson’s dummy took Moore out of the game and he then skipped a tackle by the isolated Kelly to score.

Watson then broke downfield and, while he was hauled down by the pacy Danny Ratcliffe, the defence was cluttered and Watson finished in the corner from a pass by prop Neil Lowe, an early substitute for injured fellow ex-Knight Joe Helme.

The first three penalties of the game had been given away by the Marchs – two by David and one by Paul – but the worst ill-discipline came following a scrum after Ratcliffe had uncharacteristically fumbled March’s high kick.

Moore tackled Robinson, who seemed to lash out on the ground. The young scrum-half then threatened to react but the only one to throw a proper haymaker in the ensuing melee was Kelly, who saw red in more ways than one. The incident was also put on report.

March was soon held up over the line and nearly set up a third try with a kick, and, while the Knights at least fought on a man down, they never looked like scoring, and March showed them how to do it, keeping low from dummy-half to force his way over from ten metres.

The sides were numerically level for the first nine minutes of the second as Lowe was sin-binned in the last of the first for his side’s persistent infringing.

But Hunslet upped their lead in this time as Robinson booted a penalty for an incorrect play-the-ball.

March had a second try ruled out as he lost the ball at the try-line but nothing much else of interest happened until the 71st minute, when Moore picked up a loose ball from a hopeful chip by Mitchell and scooted home, Mitchell converting.

A second try could have lifted spirits but Ratcliffe was hauled back by referee Dave Merrick for a forward pass – a marginal call – at the end of York’s only move of note, and Hunslet went up the other end for hooker Richard Chapman to dig over.

Robinson goaled to make it 20-6, before Mitchell booted a penalty at the other end with the last kick of the game to at least gain a bonus point for his team.

That, and the fact they can surely not play this badly again, were York’s only consolations.

Paul’s ‘inside knowledge’ is a key factor

BIRTHDAY boy Paul March remained magnanimous in victory following his triumphant return to Huntington Stadium – although his “surprise” at York’s poor performance could be construed as point-scoring against former collaborator James Ratcliffe.

March, sacked as York City Knights’ player-boss earlier this month, which saw director of rugby Ratcliffe take the sole coaching reins, was back as Hunslet’s new player-coach and led the Hawks to a 20-8 success.

He reckoned insider knowledge gave his new side an advantage but, while he was delighted with their display, he was still “disappointed” with his old side’s performance.

“I know about the Knights and the ins and outs of the club and I think my lads worked our game-plan to a tee,” said March, who had extra reason to enjoy his 30th birthday celebrations last night.

“I was a bit disappointed with the way York played, to be honest, having coached them for a long time. At times they looked like they didn’t know what they were doing.

“I don’t think they played to their strengths. I think they maybe changed a lot this week, knowing that I was coming up against them and that I knew all about them.

“I spoke to a few (York) players during the game and I couldn’t believe how they played. I haven’t seen them play that badly for a long time. But credit has to go to my lads. I still want them (York) to do well but I have to focus on my team and hopefully we can kick on from here.”

Match facts

Knights: Ratcliffe 6, Lewis 6, Haberecht 6, Oakes 5, Clayton 5, A Mitchell 5, Moore 5, Applegarth 6, Hughes 5, Sullivan 5, Kelly 3, Blakeway 4, D March 6. Subs (all used): Knight 5, Clough 6, Peacock 5, Hesketh 7.

Try: Moore 71.

Conversion: Mitchell 71.

Penalty: Mitchell 80.

Sin-binned: Moore 17.

Sent off: Kelly 17.

Hunslet: Larvin, Rettie, Cook, Brown, Sheldrake, Young, P March, Helme, Chapman, Hart, Watson, Dooler, Robinson. Subs (all used): Lowe, Redfearn, Firm, Brook.

Tries: Watson 7, 9; P March 36; Chapman 77.

Conversions: Robinson 77.

Penalties: Robinson 46.

Sin-binned: Robinson 17; Lowe 39.

Sent off: None.

Man of the match: Sean Hesketh – made a difference as a substitute but his efforts in the pack were not matched by many.

Referee: Dave Merrick (Dewsbury).

Rating: had a difficult game to administer and, while he wasn’t always spot-on, York can have no complaints and must look at their own performance before his.

Penalty count: 16-8.

Weather: down-pitch wind.

Half-time: 0-12.

Attendance: 985.

Gamebreaker: York’s Danny Ratcliffe was sent sprinting clear on half-way by John Oakes and Gareth Moore, but referee Dave Merrick called a pass marginally forward and Hunslet went up the other end and killed the game as a contest.

Match rating: the worst Knights game for many moons.