| York City Knights 14 Featherstone Rovers 32 |
| Arriva Trains Cup - 13 April 2003 |
| York City Knights brought
their Arriva Trains Cup campaign to an end with a home
defeat by Featherstone Rovers. Over 1,400 people turned
up to watch the match, the second highest Arriva Trains
crowd of the day. But the majority were not treated to
the win they had been hoping for. That in no small part was down to the opposition, who had everything to play for, and so it showed. Rovers, requiring two points to be almost certain of making it through to the last eight were quickly out of the blocks to stun a depleted Knights outfit, who will be hoping for a return of some of their regular players in time for the start of the league season which kicks off on Friday. |
|
Darren Callaghan looks to offload in the tackle |
| Three tries in the first
13 minutes, through Nathan Graham, Danny Seal and Ian
Brown set Rovers on their way as they opened up a sixteen
point lead. The Knights clawed their way back into it on the half hour mark. Richard Chapman, whose two earlier 40-20 kick had led to tries, sent another attempt straight into touch deep from in his own half. From the scrum the Knights moved the ball right along the line, where Trevor Krause was on hand to dart through a gap to score. Thaler was just wide with the kick. 4-16. |
|
Rovers prop Ian Tonks is well wrapped up by the Knights defence |
| But on the stroke of half
time Rovers scored again, Danny Seal racing half the
length of the field, outpacing Ricky Sheriffe, to touch
down under the posts. 4-22. It was to get worse just after the break as Chapman took a pass from Richard Agar to score at the side of the posts after Rovers had kept the ball alive well during the build up. 4-28. |
|
Scott Rhodes retrieves the ball from the scrum |
| Midway through the half the Knights had their best spell of the game which led to two well deserved tries. First Darren Robinson was on hand to take Mick Ramsden's pass to score by the posts, then Trevor Krause grabbed his second try of the game to go over from close range. Thaler added the conversion to the first and the Knights appeared to be back in it. 14-28. |
|
Trevor Krause receives treatment from Knights physio Pat Howdle |
| However, with both first choice props off the field, seemingly being rested for Friday's league opener with Gateshead, it was fitting that Rovers should have the final say, and that it should fall to the lively Agar, who raced over from 15 metres to round off the scoring. 14-32. |
|
The Knights players celebrate Trevor Krause's 64th minute try |
