If York City Knights had the 80 minute staying power of their vociferous fans, this drama in four acts might well have played out very differently.

But Hornets' cool heads under pressure and the decisive intervention of Tommy Goulden in the final quarter ensured that Darren Abram's side ultimately upstaged the visitors.

The prologue was short snd sweet. Hornets made a lightning start; Sam Butterworth dancing through a baffled York defence after only three minutes. Mark McCully slotted the extras to give the home side an early lead. Then, enter York's Phil Hasty. Twice in quick succession he opened up the Hornets defence in centre field. On the first occasion the ensuing move swept 70 metres, the ball fumbled with the line open. The second time Hasty found Patterson and he fed Golden who scored. Hasty levelled with the conversion and the act closed with York looking decidedly dangerous on attack.

The second act began with Paul Norman's entrance to the game. The Hornets prop's bone crunching tackles plugged the holes in the defence and gave his side the platform to play some football.

On 19 minutes Sam Butterworth unzipped the York defence to send in Tommy Goulden; on 26 minutes Goulden and Andy Gorski exchanged passes to put Chris Giles in at the corner; On 33 minutes Goulden's seemingly good try was struck off for a forward pass and on 36 minutes Paul Norman took Goulden's neat pass to crash in. Mark McCully's bad afternoon with the boot saw Hornets go to the interval 18-6 to the good - but with Tommy Goulden replaced by Phil Farrell with a seemingly game-ending hand injury.

Second half: Act three; York entered in detemined mood. A towering 45th minute bomb was lost in the firmanent by Paul Owen and, as the Hornets defence scrambled in disarray, Law dived on the loose ball in to score.

Owen's bad luck continued at the other end five mihutes later when a pass from Matt "Kingpin" Firth failed to stick with the line begging. York took heart from this; driving the ball back down field and applying pressure on the Hornets line. The inevitable try came when the ball was smuggled back out of a crowded last tackle for Thorman to score.

From nowhere York had pulled the game back to 18-16 and the scene was set for a grand finale.

Act four - the denouement. With York breathing down their necks, Hornets didn't panic. Having forced back to back sets, Hornets' scant reward was a 65th minute penalty which Ian Gordon hoyed wildly into the stand. From the resulting possession the ball was worked to Lee Paterson who showed exceptional strength to prise his way through several tacklers to ground the ball. McCully found his kicking muse and banged in the touchline conversion. York visibly deflated.

The surprise reintroduction of Tommy Goulden sealed the game. A barracking charge by Matt Sturm created the gap; Goulden appeared on his shoulder to take a peach of a pass and he drew the cover sublimely for Paul Owen to redeem himself with a dash to the line. McCully brought down the curtain with a straightforward conversion.

There's no doubting that York's league position belies their ability to play fast, expansive rugby league - and for long periods they stretched the Hornets defence so far out of shape that they found it hard to scrammble and cover. But it's credit to Hornets that they played their way back into shape and didn't panic. Certainly the introductions of Paul Norman and Tommy Goulden into the game were timely and influential, but Darren Abram will be looking for a more orgainised defensive performance at Doncaster if Hornets are to progress in the Northern Rail Cup.