York Acorn will be fighting for their National Conference League lives on Saturday in another crucial derby battle against rivals New Earswick All Blacks.

DOUBT FOR DERBY: New Earswick's Jez Petch could miss the clash with neighbours Acorn due to an eye injury

Bottom club Acorn are now five points adrift of safety and with just eight games left to play must start picking up wins to avoid another re-election bid.

If they fail in their mission it will be the third time in four years the Blue and Golds have been forced to seek re-election and they must wonder how many more lifelines the League are prepared to offer them.

All Blacks, who have risen to mid-table security after a good run of results, will be looking to complete a derby double following their 14-6 win at White Rose Avenue in November.

Last season there was nothing to split the teams as All Blacks won the first fixture at home and Acorn won the return game, both by just one point.

Acorn, who report no injury problems and expect to field a strong line-up, will be hoping home advantage again proves the difference for what will surely be another fiery encounter.

All Blacks, in contrast, have a number of injury worries. Scrum half Alex Davies is nursing a shoulder injury and Jamie Daniels and Jez Petch have leg and eye problems, respectively.

However, they are helped by the return to fitness of Lee Nelson and Lee Paterson and Richard Harrison is available for the contest, while there will be late fitness tests on Trevor Sadler and Dave Carling.

Acorn will also have one eye on a vital fixture between fourth bottom Castleford Panthers and third bottom Hillsborough Hawks.

Acorn have three games in hand on the Panthers, who perhaps offer the Blue and Golds their best chance of escape from the bottom two.

Heworth will be looking to continue where they left off against Siddal when they travel to lowly Blackbrook in the first division.

Although beaten 24-19 by Siddal the Villagers produced a superb second half comeback, scoring 13 points without reply, and more of the same should see them come back from St Helens with the two points.

And they travel in confident spirits as they expect to name the same side that came so close to success last weekend.

The relegation struggle in the CMS Yorkshire League's division four hots up this weekend as York Acorn 'A' take on North Leeds Cowboys, while struggling New Earswick All Blacks 'A' will face top of the table Lock Lane 'A'.

While the All Blacks have home advantage they face a tough test against the Castleford outfit, but any slip could be costly.

All Blacks are next to bottom, with only North Leeds, who have yet to win a point this season, below them.

Third-bottom Acorn will be aiming to open a gap between themselves and the bottom two by beating the Cowboys in Leeds.

Division five outfit York Groves, who have finished their league fixtures, have arranged a game away at Shaw Cross 'A'.

York Acorn coaches Alfie Hill and Paul Higgins will be bidding to keep Yorkshire's BARLA County Championship hopes alive against Cumbria at Whitehaven on Sunday.

The pair will be in charge of the Yorkshire side for their second and final match in the tri-county competition.

Having lost their first game 31-25 to Lancashire, only a victory will be enough to retain Yorkshire's interest in the event.

However, Cumbria boast a strong squad which features seven players from Wath Brow Hornets, the team which put up such a valiant effort against London Broncos in the fourth round of the Silk Cut Challenge Cup.

They include hooker Marc Jackson, who collected the Silk Cut Man of the Match award for his outstanding performance in that game.

The deciding match of the championship takes place on Sunday, March 19, at Blackbrook between Lancashire and Cumbria.

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