A superbly entertaining first half sees York City Knights hold a slender advantage over hosts Workington Town in this crucial League One encounter.

Both sides have had their chances in a high-impact encounter where both sides have given their all, with York just leading 6-4 at the break.

Town had a good chance in the opening minutes as York's Ronan Dixon made an early mistake and the home side got the ball near the visitors' line but three sets and they could not break through, a final ball proving just too hard for Tom Curwen to hang on to.

Another mistake handed Town another chance on the half way line and they made good ground again before a kick through from Sam Forrester was chased down by York's Matt Marsh, just ahead of he Town chasers.

York went on their first real attack moments later and it was only a superb tackle from Elliot Miller that halted them as he wrapped up Bradley Hey to put him on his back over the line.

Town got another let-off as Marsh juggled the ball going over the line from a looping pass from Ben Cockayne as York upped the pace.

But then the visitors got off the mark courtesy of a penalty goal, easily slotted over by Connor Robinson in front of the uprights.

Sean Penkywicz looked to try a different option with a chip and chase over the top of the York defence but Joe Batchelor collected it near his own try line and then danced through reaching the half way line before he was pulled down.

And York were soon bearing down on the try line before a fairly obvious forward pass from Robinson to Horne was spotted by the referee and despite Horne diving over the whitewash, the points were denied him.

Town looked to get back into it and Miller thought he had burrowed his way under the desperate York defence near the corner flag but the referee was having none of it and said he was held up.

A catalogue of errors from both sides ended with Town in the visitors half and powering forward but as they pressed, Tyler Dickinson spilled the ball right into the hands of a York attacker.

The half hour mark had just gone when Cockayne caught the Town defence napping and allowed Ash Robson to dive over by the corner flag, but the kick was just too far out for Connor Robinson to add the extras.

This spurred the home side on and five minutes later it was Town's turn to crash over the line, after some great work from Jamie Doran who skipped out of one tackle and dodged and weaved his way towards the line before feeding the supporting Tyllar Mellor who dived over.

The kick against the wind and rain was just wide from the boot of Forber, celebrating his 250th game for the club and Town went in at half time just two points in the arrears.