HEAD coach Tom Tsang believed Coventry Bears’ inability to handle the defensive pressure played a part in the 58-18 home defeat to League One leaders York City Knights.
Bears remain third from bottom having won just one of their nine games so far but Tsang was keen to take the positives from another big defeat on Sunday.
“We had a lot of honest conversations in the week and had to make some tough decisions with selection,” he said.
“The first half of the match we really demonstrated what we are capable of and what we can be as a team.
“We were tough in the middle, had good shape in attack and threatened at every opportunity.
“Unfortunately, in the second half, York’s strength came to the fore and they showed why they are at top of the league.
“Ultimately we lost the game due to the number of penalties and we couldn’t handle the defensive pressure.”
It only took York three minutes to get over the line as prop Adam Robinson muscled his way over and Connor Robinson gave an early display of his ruthless converting.
In a foretaste of what was to come, the Bears’ Ben Stead placed a kick for Jamahl Hunte to almost get a try for the home side.
York responded and following a clever dummy which fooled the Bears defenders, William Jubb added the Knights second after eight minutes, which was again converted.
Just four minutes later it was Tim Spears’ turn to crash over with the extras again being added with ease.
At this point a cricket score looked possible but Knights lost the ball which was gratefully accepted by Jacob Ogden who then went on to run over half the length of the pitch for the Bears first try.
Stead stepped forward for his first conversion.
York were now rather nervous, dropping the ball land conceding penalties, and Richie Hughes capitalised on this with a typical hooker’s try from close in.
Stead again converted and was instrumental in the Bears’ third try.
His well-placed kick provided the opening for Peter Ryan to score a try and the conversion levelled things at 18-18 on the half-hour mark.
However, in their eagerness the Bears gave the ball away just a few yards out from their line and Daniel Hawksworth’s try and Robinson’s fourth conversion gave the away team a six-point cushion at the break.
The second half had a very different complexion as Ronan Dixon used brute strength to score another for the Knights, which was again converted.
Robinson showed there was more than conversions in his kicking repertoire as he kicked over to the left wing for Ash Robson to pluck the ball out of the air and place it beyond the try-line.
Judah Mazave was next to cross over as York inexorably increased their score.
And then Joe Batchelor, a former Bears player, scored the first of his two tries as he shrugged off two tired defenders with his second coming from a large overlap.
The last Knights player to put his name on the scoresheet was Bradley Hey and Robinson added his ninth conversion of the afternoon.
Bears entertain Workington on Saturday.
