YORK Acorn bounced back to something like their best form with a comfortable 36-14 home win over Cottingham Tigers in the Arriva Trains Conference second division.

And, amazingly, all seven of their tries came from the wing-centre partnership of Jon Waldron and Michael Embleton.

Winger Waldron ended with a hat-trick, while former York City Knights utility player Embleton went one better.

The victory saw the Blue and Golds leapfrog their opponents and move closer to the pack in mid-table, six points clear of the re-election zone.

Man of the match Waldron, returning to the Acorn side for only his second league game since early October, has now scored 15 tries in eight outings this season.

Full-back Kev Brundrett and, more notably Embleton, whose tackling and attacking was by far the best from an Acorn centre this season, pushed him all the way for the top-player accolade.

The visitors struck the first blow when they took a tenth-minute lead through an unconverted try by centre Mowforth.

Acorn galvanised themselves and on 13 minutes Embleton cut through at pace for his first try which Brundrett goaled.

Embleton was on the prowl again four minutes later, this time releasing Waldron, whose pace did the rest.

Brundrett missed the conversion but was successful on the half-hour when goaling another Embleton-Waldron combination try, which saw the former create the space for the latter to race in to make it 16-4.

On 36 minutes and against the run of play, Cottingham, despite appearing to knock-on twice, touched down out wide.

But Acorn's lead was soon extended again when, on the stroke of half time, the Blue and Golds scored a try out of the top drawer. The ball was passed along the line in front of their own posts to fit-again second-rower Lee Frank, who hit a long pass to Embleton. He then fed Waldron to click on the burners to race in from 70 yards for his hat-trick. Brundrett goaled.

Embleton cut through at pace for his second try at the start of the second half and Acorn missed out on several chances until the 65th minute when the same player nonchalantly touched down his hat-trick.

Ten minutes later, he was celebrating his fourth try, which Brundrett converted, and although Cottingham bagged a late converted try, it was mere consolation.

Updated: 12:50 Monday, November 24, 2003