York City Knights gave Championship side Widnes Vikings a scare before losing their Northern Rail Cup quarter-final 44-18 at the Stobart Stadium.

The Knights led 12-10 at half time thanks to two tries from skipper Paul Hughes, but Widnes ran away with the game in the second half.

Knights director of rugby James Ratcliffe told BBC York: "I don't think there was such a margin between us.

"We had a great belief that we could do it at half time, that's for sure."

Ratcliffe added: "Widnes just managed to get a roll on in the second half which we couldn't get hold of.

"Once that happened, we struggled to get back hold of the ball and the momentum of the game."

The defeat came at an added cost for the Knights as Tom Haberecht limped from the field.

"He can't put any pressure down on his left leg," said Ratcliffe. "We've got no diagnosis on that but we'll have a scan on that this week."

With their cup adventure at an end, Ratcliffe said it was vital the Knights ensured the defeat did not affect their league form.

"The cup was a welcome diversion, but we've got to take some positives out of it for next week (against Hunslet)," he added.

"We've run a team close for 55, 60 minutes in the division above who have got Super League aspirations."

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