York Acorn produced a solid, hard tackling display to register a club record sixth straight opening win of the campaign when beating a determined Normanton Knights 25-6 at home.

The victory preserved their 100 per cent start to their term and, with Heworth losing for the first time this season, secured their outright leadership of National Conference League division two.

It also ended a jinx for the Blue and Golds as it was the first time they had beaten the Knights.

Acorn were always in control but, against a determined Normanton defence, victory was always going to have to be earned the hard way and so it proved.

Acorn's first score came on 11 minutes when winger Kevin Brundett slotted over a penalty.

The next score did not come until the 35th minute and it was well worth waiting for as scrum-half Danny Liddell bobbed and weaved his way into space before racing 65 yards for a fine individual try.

Brundett added the conversion and Acorn kept the score that way up to the half-time whistle.

Solid Normanton defending and too many dropped passes had contributed much to the closeness of the scoreline and Acorn knew they would have to be patient in the second half and keep working hard for this historic win.

Acorn increased their lead early in the second half when a Liddle field goal pushed the home side into a 9-0 lead.

Two minutes later any complacency Acorn may have harboured was ruefully exposed when from an attacking scrum heel near the Acorn line, Normanton quickly fed the ball to linking full-back, Craig Morewood, who dived in at the corner, and when impressive play-making stand-off Simon Hill kicked a difficult conversion, Acorn's lead was cut to 9-6.

Acorn responded like true championship contenders when they quelled the Normanton fightback with a 55th-minute try by Darren Callaghan, who dived over on the fourth tackle after initial excellent approach play by centre Chris Martin and full-back Michael Embleton.

Brundett added the extras to put Acorn into a 15-6 lead and this remained the scoreline until the last five minutes when two late tries gave the hosts the scoreline their superiority deserved.

The first came on 77 minutes when a Callaghan pass created a try for substitute Stephen Waldron who timed his run to perfection.

Brundett missed with the conversion but made amends two minutes later when he converted Acorn's final try of the game, scored superbly by centre Alan Willits, who caught a flighted pass close to the touchline at pace before angling back in to cut through from 25 yards out and go in close to the uprights.

Updated: 11:38 Monday, October 01, 2001