YORK Acorn ARLC face a proverbial four-pointer on Saturday in the continued fight for a play-off place.

The Blue and Golds go to Wigan St Patrick’s having leapfrogged the Lancastrians into the final top-six slot in the National Conference League premier division last night.

Acorn went into the game at home to in-form Oulton Raiders one place and one point below St Pat’s, who were walloped by Wath Brow Hornets 24 hours earlier.

And they swapped positions with the Wiganers after a 30-22 win, in which Acorn’s tries came from Johnny Waldron, with a 24-minute hat-trick, Mark Sanderson and Joe Budd, with all five conversions added by Jonny Liddell.

Oulton, whose campaign ended last night, went into the game knowing they needed victory to bolster their chances of avoiding relegation. Yet they were on a five-match winning streak – making them the division’s form team.

Acorn coach Alfie Hill said: “We were up for it. Johnny Waldron was too quick for them and that was that.”

Player-coach Darren Callaghan played last night, but work commitments again rule him out on Saturday, when prop Simon Wadsworth and captain Mike Embleton will also be unavailable while Kyle Palmer will be a doubt with his hamstring trouble. Tom Hill missed last night due to a dead leg, but is hopeful of being fit for Saturday.

Sixth spot in the table is a three-horse race between Acorn, St Pat’s, who both have two games left, and East Hull, who have three after last night’s defeat to Siddal. Hill said: “It’s everything to play for still and we will give it our best shot.”

Relegated Heworth have no game this weekend. They play their penultimate division one match at home to West Bowling next Wednesday night. Heworth ‘A’ host Chequerfield in Yorkshire League division two on Saturday.

New Pennine League division four champions Selby Warriors host Underbank ‘A’, while New Earswick ‘A’ look to continue their division five promotion push when they visit Halifax Irish ‘A’.

All Blacks lie second and both remaining games are must-win affairs. They are without Carl Fernandez, Ian Henderson and Nathan Tuparman this Saturday.