YORK Acorn maintained their chances of promotion with a stunning 16-8 win at National Conference division two leaders Eastmoor.

The Dragons, already assured of promotion, needed the points for their title push, yet the Blue and Golds, led by impressive prop Adam Endersby, limited them to a single try and scored three of their own.

Acorn now need to win their two remaining matches and hope Waterhead drop points in their three games in hand, two of which are against promotion rivals Ince Rosebridge and Ovenden this week.

Neighbours Heworth suffered rotten luck at the other end of the table as they fell 28-26 to a second-half fight-back by Crosfields, leaving the Villagers just one perilous point above the re-election zone.

Acorn missed early chances against Eastmoor, hooker Andy Hanson dropping the ball over the try-line and then being held on his back as he tried to touch down. But the pressure told when teenage scrum-half Tim Elliott chipped the line and collected the ball himself to score, Andy Gargan converting.

Leigh Joyce booted a penalty before the break but Acorn captain Lee Frank, at loose-forward, crossed to up the lead again, Gargan goaling.

That lead was cut to four points when Joyce touched down and converted, the Dragons overcoming the sin-binning of Jamie Barraclough, but Acorn made sure of the points late on as Gareth Lloyd sent Paul Payne over.

Acorn's chances of claiming the third promotion spot were boosted by second-placed Ince Rosebridge's defeat of fourth-placed Ovenden, but Waterhead stayed in touch by thrashing Normanton.

Acorn boss Dave Kay said: "It was an excellent performance which keeps us in the frame. We were treating it as a cup final and everybody played really well."

Heworth led 20-10 at half-time against Crosfields after tries by hooker Jon Jewitt, prop Will Neary and winger Gavin Grant with his 26th of the season, plus four goals by Carl Potter.

But the visitors then scored 18 points without reply to forge ahead with eight minutes to go and held on for victory despite a late second for Jewitt.

Outstanding stand-off Jonny Williams scored a hat-trick for Crosfields, including the match-clincher, with Dave Pennington, Ian Lucas and loose-forward Greg Pickett also crossing.

It was nevertheless an improved display by the Villagers, though they will need to go up another gear to get anything from their tough last two games.

They stayed out of the bottom two thanks to a late try which brought a two-point defeat for bottom-club Saddleworth at Stanningley while Huddersfield Sharks, whose midweek win lifted them within a point of Heworth, fell at Millom.

l More ARL reports, results and tables will be carried later in the week.

Updated: 10:57 Monday, April 18, 2005