York City Knights progressed to the fifth round of the Powergen Challenge Cup Cup and an away tie at Featherstone Rovers with a hard working victory over Sheffield Eagles. The Knights rarely got into top gear against a side also looking to make progress in a competition they won just six years ago.

The game had been billed as the clash between the two favourites for the National League Division Two crown, but with both sides missing several key players, and with six weeks still to go to the start of the league season, too much could not be read into this result.

The Knights, hoping to resume where they left off a week earlier against Dewsbury Rams took less than two minutes to open their account after a fine passing move down the right saw Chris Smith take Chris Langley's pass to crash over in the corner. Unfortunately for the Knights, Smith was to play no further part in the game, as he injured a knee in the process.

The lead lasted just two minutes. From the kick-off the Eagles got under the high hanging kick and knocked the ball backwards, regaining possession. The ball was then driven forward before a sweeping move left found centre Nick Turnbull in enough space to cross. Goddard added a difficult conversion to give the Eagles a slender lead.

The Knights regained the lead midway through the half. Carl De Chenu knocked on close to his own line giving head and feed to the Knights. From the scrum the ball was swung right to Scott Rhodes who found himself in acres of space to go over unopposed. Brough tagged on the conversion to open up a four point lead.

That lead was extended moments later, when a good run by Mick Ramsden took play close to the Eagles line. From the resulting play, Danny Brough slipped a short pass out to Dan Briggs who powered his way over from five metres, Brough converting.

Brough then went close with an attempted drop goal from just right of the posts and in the next Knights attack Damian Ball broke through on half way and beat the cover and go over, despite Andy Poynter's last ditch tackle.

Within the space of two minutes Poynter was in action at the other end, getting on the end of a grubber kick to score at the side of the posts. Goddard converted to reduce the deficit to twelve points at the break.

The Eagles had the best of the early exchanges in the second half and reduced the deficit further after Danny Mills had taken Jordan James' pass to go over in the corner. Goddard struck an excellent conversion and then a simple penalty from in front of the posts for a late tackle on Mills to narrow the gap to just two points.

The game looked to be too close to call but the Knights started to get the upper hand once more and began to take the game to hosts, making several inroads into the Eagles defence. In a desperate attempt to slow the game down Andy Raleigh was yellow carded and Rich Goddard followed minutes later. The Knights took full advantage of the extra men with Craig Forsyth bulldozing his way over from ten metres. Brough couldn't add the conversion on this occasion but was successful with a penalty moments later when Howieson was penalised for holding down, an infringement which led to him spending ten minutes on the sidelines too.

Chris Langley gave the Knights further breathing space going over with nine minutes remaining. There was still time for Alex Godfrey to go close, only to be bundled into touch just short of the line, before Scott Rhodes was found guilty of holding down in the last minute, becoming the sixth player to be yellow carded in the game.

Greg Hurst gained a stoppage time consolation for The Eagles going in at the corner, but it was too little, too late, as the Knights eased through to the fifth round.