YORK Acorn ARLC have an excellent opportunity to get their promotion push back on track as they host Huddersfield Sharks on Saturday.

However, Blue and Golds boss Dave Kay has warned the West Yorkshiremen will be no push-overs despite their lowly status.

"We would definitely expect to win, we're at home against a side near the bottom, but we're not taking anything for granted," he said.

Acorn's winning run which lifted them to second in National Conference League division two ended last week with an indisciplined defeat at Normanton, two red cards and a plethora of penalties having aided the hosts.

The Sharks, on the other hand, have lost their last five away games but two consecutive home wins - including a shock defeat of Stanningley - have lifted them clear of the re-election zone.

Kay said: "They will be wanting a result as much as us on the back of a decent win over Saddleworth and they seem to have turned the corner a little bit of late."

Kay was on holiday last week so missed his side's defeat but was not overly concerned about the downturn.

"Apparently the penalty count in the first half was about 15-1 so you could question the refereeing," he said. "It's always hard to compete when to some extent you're not being allowed to. But when we did have the ball we didn't do too much wrong.

"It's not a case of the wheels have fallen off. We've not got a great deal to worry about on that (indiscipline) score. You could put it down as a little blip."

Of more concern perhaps is the fact he will be without captain Lee Franks, who is to have a scan on a problematic knee, and unavailable second-row Carl Barrow, while flying winger Johnny Waldron faces a late fitness test on his knee."

Positivity should be the buzzword for bottom club Heworth as they look to turn around their season, starting with Saturday's trip to Stanningley.

The Villagers gave leaders Eastmoor a fright last week before going down to an 11th defeat in 12 games, and club spokesman Ken Sykes said they had to remain resolute.

"There seems to be a reasonable amount of spirit in the place and we've got to be positive," he said.

"Perhaps our fitness levels are not what they should be but at times we're as good as anybody we play against. Our performance last week should give us hope as we matched them for an hour.

"This season on occasions we've played really well, often when we've had a stronger side out but those times have coincided with us playing against the better teams. We've given a good account of ourselves but without managing to win. We had a decent side out last week but were playing the top of the league. If we were playing a team near the bottom, you'd like to think we'd have got a win.

"Stanningley are somewhere in the middle and we must fancy our chances of getting something - but when you're at the bottom it's more difficult.

"We're half-way through the season after this game and it's time to start picking points up."

York City Knights prop Dan Briggs could be back in the Heworth fold again but is struggling with a calf injury, though experienced half-back Paddy Handley is expected to recover from a chest problem.

Updated: 09:16 Thursday, November 25, 2004