New Earswick All Blacks ARL club kicked off the new season with a thrilling last-minute victory over Normanton Knights at White Rose Avenue.

They snatched an 11-10 National Conference League division two win with a 40 metre field goal from Mick Harrison to stlle an exciting encounter.

With the scores at 10-10 and Normanton pressing on the All Blacks line, Dave Carling made a decisive break down the field and four tackles later All Blacks were in the Normanton half. The ball was passed to Harrison who carried the ball between the posts for the winning score.

His last-gasp effort and his fine play throughout the game earned him the man of the match award.

Nerves and lack of match practice led to a well matched, but scrappy, game with very few sets of six being completed.

The heavy rain made the ball slippery and it was spilled on many occasions by both sides.

The stalemate was broken after half an hour when a couple of penalties by Ian Morse took Normanton into a 4-0 lead.

New Earswick hit back to score a try when prop Boitolt crashed over from close range to level the scores.

Normanton replied with a converted try to open up a six point lead but All Blacks hit back with another try of their own which was improved by Carling to set up the thrilling finish.

That result sets up next week's derby with York Acorn, who also opened the campaign in style as they triumphed 33-10 at Hull Dockers, regarded by many as favourites for the title.

Despite missing several established players, Acorn subdued Dockers' large pack and their partisan supporters.

Skipper and loose forward lee Frank was outstanding with second rower Dave Norman, props Chris Soulsby and Billy Blackburn and wingers Tom Wilcocks and John Hough not far behind.

Norman burrowed over from acting half-back for the first score on eight minutes, Frank adding the extras.

Dockers hit back with an unconverted try by Jason Vassilokopulas, but Acorn reasserted their authority when Frank brilliantly chipped over the home defence, regathered and raced 70 yards to touch down for a try he also converted.

Acorn's 12-4 interval lead was soon increased when Norman pounced on another chip over the the Dockers' back-line to score his second try of the game. Frank added the conversion.

On the hour Norman burst through before flicking the ball to Andy Lee who darted over.

Although Frank missed an easy conversion attempt and Dockers grabbed a try ten minutes from the end through Mike Smith, goaled by former Hull KR man Mike Fletcher, Acorn comfortably held on to win.

Elsewhere, a late tries by former York scrum half Terry Smirk and Don Frankish earned Hull-based Ideal Isberg a home point from a 10-10 draw in the premier division.

Another former York half-back, Colin Brown, was they key to Skirlaugh's 14-6 win at Redhill, kicking four penalties.

Champions West Hull were stretched before winning 18-8 at Oulton thanks to tries by Stuart Leake and Pete Stephenson.

Castleford Lock Lane stormed to a 26-8 win at Dudley Hill with three tries in the last 10 minutes.

This season's NCL premier division championship could be settled by a top five play-off - providing there is no fixture backlog at the end of the season.

However, the old first past the post system will continue to operate in the first and second divisions this season.

PICTURE: BREAKING THROUGH: A New Earswick All Black player skips away from a would-be Normanton tackler (above) during a thrilling game at White Rose Avenue on Saturday