Oldham 4 York City knights: Woods completes promotion hat-trick as York make control pay and add to Oldham dismay

IT WAS a sign of York City Knights' utter dominance that the underdogs felt they should have won this memorable Championship One play-off final by a far wider margin.

Dave Woods's side may have finished third behind second-place Oldham and lost out twice before to their rivals this season but when it came to the crunch showpiece there was only one side in the contest.

Driven York, who last won promotion from this division as National League Two champions in 2005, produced a determined and resolute performance which would have been far more emphatic but for the chances they spurned.

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Possibly it should have been no surprise they were so controlling given their own confidence and taking into account luckless Oldham's previous in this competition.

They have now lost the last four finals, all against Yorkshire opponents – Featherstone, Doncaster and Keighley previously– and will endure more nightmares on the back of this errant display.

However, York only held a slender 10-4 interval lead courtesy of tries from Wayne Reittie and James Haynes, splintered by an effort from Oldham's Mick Fogerty.

The otherwise impressive Reittie broke clear but ignored support to kick ahead while Luke Hardbottle juggled and spilled over the line.

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A wriggling James Hayne was also just denied by some desperate defence but Woods was always confident their obvious superiority would eventually show.

"I wasn't really concerned," said the Australian, who can now add York to Castleford and Gateshead as sides he has guided to promotion.

"Once I spoke to them at half-time we knew we'd had all the field position and it was just a case of not converting.

"If we stuck at it, we knew we could get to Oldham.

"We made it tough for ourselves with some errors in that first half, probably through a bit of nerves, but they dug deep and credit has got to go to them."

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Lee Waterman nudged them further ahead with a 44th-minute penalty after Lucas Onyango had raced back to haul in Haynes but then held on too long.

Paul Stamp made another scorching break with no reward but the experienced Chris Thorman finally got the crucial score, the ex-Huddersfield Giants stand-off dummying his way over with 13 minutes to go.

Assistant coach Thorman then added a drop-goal before York produced a classy score which would have graced Super League, quick and slick hands from Thorman, Haynes and Waterman sending Steve Lewis in.

Thorman converted and Woods – who took only took charge in June – was fulsome in his praise.

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"You can't really single anyone out after that," he said, although club captain Jordan Ross deserved special praise for an excellent display in his final match before emigrating to Australia.

"All of the 17 did tremendously and it's an outstanding day for this club.

"We're really looking forward to challenging ourselves in the Championship."

Oldham: O'Connor; Onyango, St Hilaire, Fogerty, Gillam; Roden, McNally; Boults, Roden, Kerr, Clarke, Chandler, Bentley. Substitutes: Ellison, Heaton, Whitmore, Ashe.

York City Knights: Haynes; Reittie, Mitchell, Waterman, Wilson; Thorman, Ratcliffe; Freer, Lee, Benson, Ross, Esders, Hardbottle. Substitutes: Stamp, Dinsdale, Lewis, Stearman.

Referee: Gareth Hewer.