YORK Acorn's promotion chances took a big dent as they lost 18-12 at home to mid-table Stanningley in a game marred by a serious injury to full-back Kev Brundrett.

The Blue and Golds produced a stirring comeback having trailed 18-0 at half-time and been down to 12 men following the sending-off of Lee McTigue for fighting.

They also lost Brundrett to a broken leg and dislocated ankle just before the interval, with play held up for a while as an ambulance was called to take him to hospital. But their second-half efforts were not enough.

A magnificent gesture from the visitors saw a post-match whip round in the Stanningley dressing room raise £200 for the stricken player.

They had secured the two National Conference division two league points thanks to their first-half performance as centre Matthew Wilson crossed for two tries and second-row Lee Taylor another, with Stuart McGill adding three goals.

Centre Kyle Palmer impressed as Acorn fought back from a seemingly lost situation, with hooker Michael Fitzsimmons kick-starting the comeback with a try early in the second half and Mick Hagan grabbing a second try for the hosts.

Andy Gargan added a penalty to his conversion to put Acorn within one score of the visitors and they continued to enjoy the bulk of possession, but Stanningley, with full-back Paul Murray in fine form, held out, though they could have made life easier for themselves had they not missed a couple of gettable drop goals.

A spirited fight-back was not enough for Heworth either as they went down 34-22 away to Normanton to stay in the re-election zone.

The Knights led 26-0 after 17 minutes but had to battle hard to hold on in the final quarter as Heworth got a foothold in the game.

Winger Kevin Bateman was Normanton's hero with a hat-trick. Scrum-half Paul Statham, in the fourth minute, and centre Dale Atkinson had already crossed by the time he got his first, with full-back Gareth Ellis and Lee Aspinall also touching down as the hosts, aided by some controversial refereeing, took the game away for Heworth in a blistering opening quarter, Heworth not being helped by the sixth-minute sin-binning of full-back John Coulson.

Nathan Witty grabbed a try in response, Carl Potter adding his first of three goals, but the Knights, for whom Ben Cockayne added three goals, maintained their healthy lead after the break as Bateman completed his treble either side of a second Witty effort.

The Villagers, who had the better of the second half, closed the gap and gave the hosts an anxious ending as Gavin Grant raced over twice but there was to be no miracle tournaround.

Updated: 11:14 Monday, January 31, 2005