IT might have been the last game if the regular season but York City Knights boss James Ratcliffe will have been happy to learn a few more things about his side going into the play-offs.

The Knights beat Swinton 46-28 at Huntington Stadium to guarantee third spot in Championship One.

But while they always looked likely winners and at no point trailed on the scoreboard, it was a tougher, rougher game than the scoreline, and lack of cards, perhaps suggests.

Ratcliffe learned good things about his pack, with the way they faced up to Swinton’s big set, and his side’s discipline, given they did not quite get drawn into a heated dogfight.

But he also learned he needs to shore up the left-side defence before the team go to Keighley, runners-up in the league, for their qualifying semi-final, where victory would send them straight to the grand final.

Each of Swinton’s five tries came down that side, where winger Dave Clayton was often left isolated as he and centre Tom Haberecht, perhaps unprotected on his inside, struggled to combat dangerous duo Carl Sneyd and Andy Saywell, who between them bagged 20 of Swinton’s points.

It was a good job that lessons can be learned and weaknesses corrected ahead of the trip to Cougar Park in a fortnight, and also that Ratcliffe’s men continue to score freely at the other end, with the new starting combination at half-back, of Gareth Moore and Loz Wildbore, being busy and creative throughout, on the back of big efforts up front particularly from in-form duo Mark Applegarth and Sean Hesketh.

Richard Blakeway had possibly his most influential game since joining the club, especially in his first stint – made more conspicuous when he wasn’t on the pitch – while fellow second-row Jordan Ross blasted about as normal, bagging two tries to boot.

His first came after just three minutes, made expertly by Haberecht, who freed his hand around the tackle to give the scoring pass. This followed good yardage from centre John Oakes and his winger, Lee Waterman, who added the extras.

Former Skirlaugh amateur Waterman kicked seven out of eight conversions in total, including touchline efforts in the swirling wind, and again did enough to show he could be a real handful next season, probably when utilised further inside.

The Knights maintained the upper hand for the opening quarter, aided by the sin-binning of Swinton sub Bruce Johnson on 13 minutes, seconds after he had entered the fray, for delaying a 20-metre restart.

But the Lions equalised against the run of play, while down to 12 men, as all the left-sided defence was sucked inside and Clayton was left helpless as Sneyd dummied to Saywell and strolled in.

Sneyd added his first of four conversions, each of which took an amusingly inordinate amount of time, not helped on one occasion when the announcer twice boomed out a message over the Tannoy just as he was about to take a touchline kick stood underneath a speaker.

Swinton were back in the game and battered their way up front trying to glean dominance, but they were hit by three tries in eight minutes as the Knights stepped up a gear in attack, led by the half-backs, firstly Wildbore.

The former Featherstone flier injected a bit of pace as he stepped past his man to score, after Waterman’s sprint down the touchline, and a penalty, had set the field position.

Substitute half-back Adam Mitchell’s first act after coming on for hooker Paul Hughes, which saw Moore go to dummy-half, was to kick the ball out on the full, conceding ground and a scrum.

But his next was to win a penalty for a high tackle and his boot downfield set the position for Ross to jink through and burst to the line.

Then Moore embarked on a superb break in centre-field, nipping past Swinton’s big men on half-way, and gave the scoring pass to the supporting Danny Ratcliffe, who collected his 16th try soon after collecting his first Press-sponsored Player of the Month award.

Ratcliffe came close to a second when held up over the whitewash after good work by David March and Haberecht, but the 24-6 half-time scoreline was nevertheless a notable lead.

However, York minds seemed to stay in the changing room after half-time, and the Lions blasted out of the blocks to get back in the game at 24-16 within seven minutes of the restart.

Saywell scored in the corner, with Clayton again isolated, before Craig Ashall crossed after an incisive dash.

The Knights needed inspiration to regain the ascendancy and got it from talismanic loose-forward March, who looked wrapped up but got out a trademark offload while on the move, for Oakes to crash over. March, though, immediately left the fray after tweaking a hamstring again.

Sneyd set up Saywell for his second try, but York again hit back, this time as Applegarth got on the end of Moore’s kick – while many eyes were trained on a minor set-to, in the aftermath of a play-the-ball, between Hesketh and the more diminutive Gary Hulse.

Visiting full-back Darren Bamford picked off a Wildbore kick to race 80 metres home, but Wildbore had the last word. Firstly, a fast set move from a scrum saw Ratcliffe race away down the blind side to score. Then Wildbore stepped through again to complete the scoring with a minute left.

It set the seal on a fourth straight win for a side coming into their own at the right time of year.

But, especially considering the Lions gave game-time to a couple of fringe players ahead of their own play-off assault, and rested inspirational stand-off Graham Holroyd, Ratcliffe will know his side will have to improve to overturn the Cougars.


Match facts

Knights: Ratcliffe 7, Waterman 8, Oakes 6, Haberecht 6, Clayton 5, Wildbore 7, Moore 8, Applegarth 8, Hughes 6, Hesketh 8, Ross 7, Blakeway 8, March 6.

Subs (all used): Mitchell 6, Clough 7, Sullivan 7, Ambler 6.

Tries: Ross 3, 32; Wildbore 26, 79; Ratcliffe 34, 75; Oakes 56; Applegarth 67.

Conversions: Waterman 3, 26, 32, 34, 56, 67, 79.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.


Swinton: Bamford, Saywell, Sneyd, D Hull, Lopag, C Hull, Hulse, Hayes, Hawkyard, Heaton, Newton, Rigby, Ashall.

Subs (all used): Crook, Moana, Tyrer, Johnson.

Tries: Sneyd 20; Saywell 43, 60; Ashall 47; Bamford 70.

Conversions: Sneyd 20, 47, 60, 70.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: Johnson 13.


Man of the match: Gareth Moore – busy, nippy and creative throughout, as he and new half-back partner Loz Wildbore continued to add a different dimension to the Knights’ attack.

Referee: Greg Dolan (Dewsbury).

Rating: not overly strict on a few high shots but generally did okay and his use of the whistle was usually justified.

Penalty count: 14-9.

Weather: chilly breeze.

Half-time: 24-6.

Attendance: 844.

Gamebreaker: John Oakes’ 56th-minute try, set up expertly by David March, signalled the end of Swinton’s second-half comeback.

Moment of the match: music man Gary Hall’s inspired choice of song with which to greet tries by Loz Wildbore – the Duran Duran classic Wild Boys.

Match rating: A good, hard game with tries aplenty, though York will have to defend better in the play-offs.