YORK KNIGHTS 34 ST HELENS 32
JACOB KILBRIDE, LNER Community Stadium, Saturday

ST HELENS’ play-off hopes took a potentially terminal blow after suffering a first defeat to York since 1946.

Even amid a cruel injury crisis, which saw three more bodies join the treatment room this week, these are worrying times for the Red Vee, now on a run of four defeats in five, two of those to newly-promoted opposition.

Trailing Hull KR and Leigh by two points with six rounds to go, including meetings against four of the current top six, Saints look in real danger of missing out on a top-six finish for the first time in the Super League era.

For York, this high may go close to rivalling the toppling of reigning champions Hull KR in round one and is yet another marker of just how far this club has risen over the past decade.

Few Knights fans could have foreseen such a result after three minutes. A routine Jack Welsby grubber was fumbled by Toa Mata’afa, providing Jake Davies with the simplest of finishes.

Mata’afa atoned for his error when feeding ex-Saint Jon Bennison to the left corner before a classy delayed Ata Hingano pass allowed Cody Hunter to send Oli Field scything through a gap.

The Knights were again undone by a tryline error when Hunter patted down a Jackson Hastings kick straight into the path of Shane Wright who twisted over from close range.

Saints should have added to their advantage when a Welsby bullet pass sent Daniel Suluka-Fifita strolling under the sticks, but a forward pass call by referee Liam Rush chalked off the points.

There was no denying Saints nor Welsby on the half-hour mark though. Tristan Sailor wriggled out of an attempted Hunter tackle and released Harry Robertson down the right touchline. A desperate Tom Inman ankle-tap proved in vain as Welsby crawled over.

Just as the momentum seemed in their favour, Alex Walmsley knocked-on from his back-fence carry a play later, with Denive Balmforth then scooting past the England prop in the resultant set.

At 16-16 on 46 minutes, St Helens were given a huge leg-up when Hingano was shown yellow for an ugly shoulder charge on debutant Billy Keeley.

Inexplicably, York rallied to score twice without reply while a player down. First, Paul Vaughan repelled the attention of four tryline defenders to score a try he had no right to, before Nikau Williams dropped on a Hunter bomb as Jacob Douglas failed to deal with the danger.

Some Robertson magic got Saints back within one score, the mercurial halfback picking up a loose bouncing Welsby pass in his in-goal and racing past defenders down the right edge, feeding Sailor to give Welsby the long-range finish.

York appeared to have wrapped up a sensational upset when Jack Martin offloaded marvelously into Field to complete his double for a twelve-point lead.

But two late tries saw Saints set up a grandstand finish. Robertson dotted down when Andy Djeukessi – on York debut after a prolific season with partner club Newcastle – allowed a Hastings kick to bounce off the posts, before Douglas touched down a right-side shift.

With Hastings down hurt in backfield, Sailor took over the kicking duties, dragging wide the touchline conversion effort and sealing his side’s fate.

GAMESTAR: Across two spells and some big minutes in the front-row, former Australia international Paul Vaughan stood strong to lead York’s pack, his crowning moment being the superb solo try he managed with the Knights a man down.

GAMEBREAKER: Not until Tristan Sailor sent wide his touchline conversion in the penultimate minute was this topsy-turvy back-and-forth truly settled.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jack Welsby’s loose pass into his in-goal almost looked costly at first glance, only for Harry Robertson to remarkably gather, escape the danger, race beyond defenders and set up Tristan Sailor’s assist for Welsby’s counter-attacking finish.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Paul Vaughan (York)
2 pts Harry Robertson (St Helens)
1 pt Xavier Va’a (York)

MATCHFACTS

KNIGHTS
1 Toa Mata’afa
33 Andy Djeukessi (D)
5 Scott Galeano
26 Nikau Williams
23 Jon Bennison
37 Cody Hunter
9 Paul McShane
8 Jack Martin
48 Tom Inman
15 Xavier Va’a
27 Matty Foster
20 Oli Field
6 Ata Hingano
Subs
10 Paul Vaughan
13 Jordan Thompson
14 Denive Balmforth
21 Kieran Buchanan (not used)
18th man (not used)
7 Liam Harris
Also in 21-man squad
4 Sam Wood
16 Justin Sangaré
49 Matty English

Tries: Bennison (11), Field (16, 71), Balmforth (35), Vaughan (53), Williams (56)
Goals: Bennison 5/6
Sin bin: Hingano (46) – shoulder charge

SAINTS
1 Jack Welsby
20 Lewis Murphy
6 Tristan Sailor
28 Jake Davies
26 Jacob Douglas
3 Harry Robertson
31 Jackson Hastings
35 Daniel Suluka-Fifita
23 Jake Burns
8 Alex Walmsley
12 Shane Wright
14 Jacob Host
22 Joe Shorrocks
Subs (all used)
29 Alfie Sinclair
30 Tom Humphreys
37 Billy Keeley (D)
39 Chris Matagi
18th man (not used)
41 Jack Campbell
Also in 21-man squad
34 Cole Marsh
– Tyler McGann
– Alfie Tate

Tries: Davies (3), Wright (22), Welsby (31, 66), Robertson (76), Douglas (78)
Goals: Hastings 4/5, Sailor 0/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 4-6, 10-6, 10-12, 10-16, 16-16; 22-16, 28-16, 28-22, 34-22, 34-28, 34-32

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Paul Vaughan; Saints: Harry Robertson

Penalty count: 8-9
Half-time: 16-16
Referee: Liam Rush