Heworth face a win or bust trip to title-chasing Siddal tonight (7pm), knowing defeat will send them down into the National Conference League second division.

The Villagers must win all three of their remaining games - they also have to play bottom club Millom and Wigan St Judes - to keep alive their hopes of avoiding the drop.

Their fortunes took a turn for the worst at the weekend when they lost to the team immediately above them, East Leeds, while the other relegation candidates, Askam, pulled off a shock win over National Cup finalists Featherstone Lions.

There is a belief in the Heworth camp that Featherstone fielded a weakened team to save their best side for the up-coming cup final.

Whatever the reasons, Askam's victory has just about safeguarded the Cumbrian club's first division status and left Heworth's hanging by a thread.

If Heworth lose in Halifax tonight they could still mathamatically avoid relegation. However, with a far inferior points difference than East Leeds they will be as good as down.

Spokesman Ken Sykes said: "If we can't beat East Leeds at home then we shouldn't be expected to beat Siddal away but we've got to try.

"If we do go down then when push comes to shove it's because we just haven't been good enough. There is no point looking at anybody and making excuses.

"As far as the players are concerned it's a case of whether they can prove they are good enough in the last three games."

The only concerns for Heworth on the player-front are Jason Gatus and Nicky Wilson who sustained leg injuries against East Leeds.

The Villagers will be desperate to field their strongest line-up in a bid to halt a dramatic fall from grace. In 1993-94 they won the first division championship and NCL Challenge Cup double, then spent several competitive seasons in the premier division before dropping back into the first division two years ago.

Should they go down into division two they would join neighbours York Acorn and New Earswick All Blacks in the bottom flight.

However, All Blacks' NCL status is in doubt as they are currently in bottom place and now look destined to seek re-election.

Updated: 09:31 Wednesday, April 25, 2001