Lesson to learn in consistency class

10:19am Saturday 12th July 2008

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ASSISTANT-COACH James Ratcliffe is in no doubt the three York City Knights players deserve their place in the National League Two team of the month – despite the side’s topsy-turvy form.

The Knights enjoyed two impressive victories and a battling loss during June but they also endured two bad losses, yet only league leaders Barrow, who had been unbeaten up to that point, have more players in the league’s monthly ‘dream team’.

The York trio are captain Dave Buckley, Rob Spicer, and Paul March – who, as revealed in this column last week, has succeeded Spicer as The Press readers’ choice of Knights’ Player of the Month.

Ratcliffe said: “I think they do deserve their places. Dave Buckley has been consistent throughout the season and Rob Spicer (the reigning double Player of the Year) is showing the form that York saw of him last season.

“Paul’s been struggling on as the single experienced half-back that we’ve got and deserves the accolade too. All three are justified in my opinion.”

He added: “If everybody was as consistent as those three we would win more than we lose.”

On the point of consistency, Ratcliffe was quick to admit his frustration at the team’s up-and-down form.

“The month of June has been typical of the season,” he said. “It’s frustrating to say the least. We’ve come up with so many good things then ruin it with so many bad things.”

Ratcliffe has previously argued that inconsistency is often borne of youth and inexperience, both physical and mental.

It cannot be forgotten that of the 17 players in the line-up at Gateshead last week, only seven have more than one full year of experience at National League level or above – among them Buckley, Spicer and March.

“Concentration levels are a massive thing,” he has said. “I was involved in the under-21s last year (at Dewsbury), and when sending players up to the first team, they do three or four weeks but then the concentration starts to lapse because it is highly fatiguing.”

He added: “A lot of (Knights) players have had to adjust to National League football, and you do get inconsistencies because of their ages. They will be better for the experience if we keep hold of them.”

However, he has also previously refused to use that as an excuse when poor performances come along.

“You can’t make excuses all the time about us being a young team,” he said. “We’ve got experience out there. We’ve got Dave and Paul March, Rob Spicer, Dave Buckley, Mark Applegarth, people who have played the game at a good level and should be able to keep concentration across 17 players. So I’m not going to offer excuses about us being a young team.”

ANOTHER of those more experienced players, Danny Ekis, took top marks in the Knights’ loss at Gateshead last week.

The 26-year-old has had inconsistencies in his own game this term but was a clear man of the match this time having given one of his best performances of the season – a show of form the club hope will continue.

That award gained him three points for his Press/K Walker & Co Player of the Year tally, lifting him into contention for the end-of-season prizes.

Buckley (2pts) again proved consistency to go clear in second place, while two-try Steve Lewis (1pt) also added to his score.

Press/K Walker & Co Player of the Year standings: Mapals 18, Buckley 16, Spicer 14, P March 13, D March 11, Ekis 11, Divorty 10, Applegarth 8, Oakes 7, Hughes 7, Lewis 6, Esders 6, Grimshaw 6, Ratcliffe 5, Rhodes 3, Grice 3, Hodgson 2, Greenwood 1.

THE travelling York faithful helped Gateshead Thunder set a season’s best attendance last week.

The crowd of 602 was also boosted by the children’s pre-match curtain-raiser – which was a good sign of developing rugby league in the North East – as well as the Thunder’s own good form, of course.

THE Knights Supporters’ Club events crew are back on the road tonight with a race night at the Shoulder of Mutton pub on Malton Road. The first race is at 8.30pm. Everyone is welcome.

IT seems the Knights’ ongoing bad luck with injuries has extended on to former players.

Jim Elston, now with Dewsbury Rams, is almost certainly out for the season, and possibly longer, because of new cruciate ligament damage.

It is not the first time the popular hooker has suffered such a long-term injury.

He missed most of the Knights’ 2006 season and the start of 2007 after rupturing knee ligaments in a Northern Rail Cup tie.