YORK Acorn 'A' moved to within one win of lifting the Pennine League division five title after fighting back from a 5-4 half-time deficit to beat title rivals Thornton 20-5.

With only 15 players available due to injuries and first team call-ups, this was always going to be a tough encounter in which a win for Thornton would have drawn them level on points at the top.

And so it proved, especially in the first period in which the visitors scored two goals and a drop goal, while Acorn's points came from a stunning length-of-the-field try by winger John Tattersfield.

The second half saw Acorn take control thanks to hooker Fran Starkey, veteran prop Gary Taylor and centres Steven Irving and Alex Cowton.

They secured the victory with tries from substitute Paul Payne, Irving and Starkey to go with two goals from loose-forward Ben Hodgson.

Acorn now need to win one of their two remaining games at Selby Warriors or at home to Wetherby to lift the title.

York Groves had four tries disallowed as they drew 4-4 at West Bowling 'B'.

Groves had much of the ball playing down the slope in the first half but torrential rain made handling difficult, though their try made light of the conditions. Danny Buy took the ball, passed to centre Danny Battle, who dummied, sprinted through a gap and, as the defence closed in, passed to Mark Pitchford.

He sped down the touchline and, with the full-back hunting him down, passed inside to Battle, who touched down.

An excellent move down the right had earlier ended with full-back Paul Watson crossing in the corner but the try was ruled out as his foot went into touch. The same fate befell John Rushworth after the break, while other scores were ruled out for forward passes, one of which was very harsh.

Playing down the slope with the weather easing in the second half, West Bowling pressed the Groves' line but excellent defence from Simon Moat and Battle kept them at bay until, with ten minutes left, they spread the ball left to go over.

Groves, for whom notable performances came from Battle, Dean Kilbride, Chris Smith and Andy Starkey, pressed for a winner, but Dunn's drop goal attempt dropped just short.

Selby Warriors' fairytale run in the Pennine League Shipley Trophy came to a painful end with defeat at Elland 'A' - and a broken ankle for Mark Hansen.

The Warriors, from division five, had already beaten three division three teams on their way to the quarter-finals but they could not conquer a fourth as the hosts repelled a fight-back to win 32-24.

Selby, missing several regulars, had been an inch away from an improbable comeback as they whittled down a 32-6 deficit on the hour mark to be in contention at 32-24 with five minutes left.

Centre Hansen then reached for the line beside the posts, but the referee ruled he grounded the ball an inch short. Two minutes later Elland scored at the other end.

Disappointment then turned to dismay when Hansen broke an ankle. The inspirational player will miss the rest of the season.

Selby were already without top-scorer Wayne Fennell, player-coach Kev Fellows, both injured in a charity game last week, full-back Andy Germaine and second-row Alan O'Driscoll, but they still scored first when Colin Barker shrugged off five tacklers to cross and convert.

Prop John Broadhurst was then held up inches short but the bright start ended as Elland exploited weaknesses for a 20-6 half-time lead as Warriors' woes mounted.

Winger Jason Roby was forced off with a broken bone in his hand and Mick Smith also suffered a leg injury, and while Colin Barker was sin-binned for dissent early in the second half, Elland ran in three quick tries.

The fight-back began when Barker returned. Ian Ramskill forced his way over and skipper Carl Bardauskas sneaked under the posts. Dave Sowden, backed up Broadhurst's storming run, then crossed and Barker's three conversions made it 32-24.

However, Bardauskas went off injured, and the momentum dropped, with the game coming to a premature end when Hansen broke his ankle.

New Earswick All Blacks saw off Ossett in the final game of their CMS Yorkshire League senior division campaign - but must wait to see if they have qualified for the top-four play-offs.

All Blacks won 24-10 to stay in fourth, but fifth-placed Batley Boys shocked Hunslet Old Boys 44-12 to stay in contention with one game still to play.

A win for Batley will give them fourth spot so the York side will be praying second-placed Kippax do what Hunslet could not.

All Blacks chairman Charles Rollinson said: "They've got to go to Kippax, who need to win to have any chance of the title so they will hopefully turn them over."

All New Earswick's points came in a fine first half display in which they played some solid and at times delightful rugby.

Scrum-half Ben Jones followed up his own chip to gather the ball, round the full-back and score under the posts, and a fine try involving Carl Pallister and Phil Turpin saw man of the match Mick Harrison start and finish the move.

Ossett hit back with a converted try under the posts but All Blacks, for whom Carl Barrow shone, extended the lead when Harrison threw two dummies to get over under the sticks and the impressive Alan Pallister did likewise after a great run by his cousin Carl. Dave Carling added his fourth conversion to make it 24-6 at half-time.

The second half was niggly with both sides giving away too many penalties. A 65th-minute flare-up saw prop Jamie Daniel and his opposite number sin-binned.

Ossett scored a try while the game was 12-a-side but it was mere consolation.

Heworth 'A' again failed to raise a team for their division three trip to Chequerfield.

Updated: 09:40 Tuesday, March 16, 2004