Golden-point extra-time heartbreak for Featherstone Rovers as Liam Harris drop-goal seals 1895 Cup triumph for York Knights

In a showpiece occasion which featured no tries at Wembley, Harris’ boot scored all of the Knights’ five points, while Fev only had two Ben Reynolds penalties to show for their dogged efforts.

It was an attritional affair to rival the day’s earlier Challenge Cup final between Hull KR and Warrington Wolves. That ended with a dramatic late try from Tom Davies as the Robins ended their 45-year wait for that famous trophy. The fans who stayed for this one had to wait even longer for the drama.

Just the thought of a try in this 1895 Cup final was non-existent as defences came out on top in a game for the rugby league purests.

York led 4-2 at the break thanks to two Harris penalties in response to a Reynolds kick.

But Reynolds’ second penalty sent the tight contest to extra-time, which was decided by a Harris special.

It was, however, a shame, perhaps for the neutrals, as these two sides have been known to play out epic contests before.

This was, of course, a repeat of the 2021 final where Rovers recorded a thrilling 41-36 victory to get their hands on the trophy for the first time.

More recently Fev recovered from a 16-0 half-time deficit to secure an unbelievable 24-22 win in the Championship.

York certainly got their revenge for both these results here in the capital.

They are also the Championship’s form teams with Fev winning their last three. The Knights, their previous four.

And they had the game’s first real surge as Jordan Thompson burst into Fev’s final ten metres before being hauled back.

That sparked Paul Cooke’s men into life as they forced a string of York errors which eventually resulted in Reynolds knocking over penalty number one.

Cooke had led out Fev at Wembley having never played here over the course of making 400-plus career appearances, despite winning a Challenge Cup with Hull FC.

That day in Cardiff was a blockbuster tie too. He scored the winning try in a 25-24 success against Leeds Rhinos.

There were certainly no fireworks here in terms of attacking threat although the weather conditions certainly didn’t assist either team’s usual easy-on-the-eye playing style - between them they have mustered an eye-catching 593 points in the Championship.

The game was summed up on the half-hour mark when Toa Mata’afa dropped the ball inches from the try-line when he appeared destined to go over.

There was a swirling wind and it was hammering it down. The only thing it wasn’t raining was tries.

York did get on the board with a Harris penalty to level things up before, right on the half-time hooter, he nudged the Knights in front with a spectacular penalty from just inside the Featherstone half.

Try-scoring chances, for both sides, were at a premium. And things didn’t improve on that front in the second period with Reynolds’ second penalty of the evening on the hour making it 4-4.

The Knights’ Brenden Santi spun out of a tackle only to be held up on the line while Pontefract-born Josh Hardcastle couldn’t find Derrell Olpherts - who was left out of Wakefield Trinity’s Wembley win last year in the 1895 Cup final against Sheffield Eagles - as the seconds ticked towards golden-point extra-time.

We nearly didn’t get there as Harris attempted a long-range drop-goal, which was way off target, before Connor Wynne looked to escape down the left before being tackled which turned out to be the last play of normal time.

And York lifted the 1895 Cup for the first time when Harris kept his composure in front of the sticks to break Rovers’ hearts.

Featherstone: Aekins, Olpherts, Hardcastle, Gale, Wynne, Reynolds, Hampshire, Springer, Jubb, Beckett, Day, Webb, Addy

Interchanges: Jones, Williams, Vuniyayawa, Arnold

Penalties: Reynolds (2)

York: Mata’afa, Brown, Buchanan, Field, Galeano, Hingano, Harris, Martin, McShane, Ta’ai, Dee, Bailey, Thompson

Interchanges: Cook, Santi, Gannon, Hudson

Penalties: Harris (2)

Drop Goal: Harris

Referee: Liam Rush