NEW coach Alfie Hill had warned before York Acorn ARLC's trip to West Bowling that it was not the match he would have chosen to restart his time at the Thanet Road club.

And his caution proved justified as the injury-hit Blue and Golds fell to a 28-6 defeat in West Yorkshire to a team eager to bounce straight back up to the premier division of the National Conference League.

Hill, who has joined a coaching team also comprising joint-boss Paul Lumby and assistants Barry Gargan and Darren Callaghan, saw his side stay in the game for most of the contest, only to drift out of it in the last 15 minutes as West Bowling scored three tries.

The home team had gone ahead in the first half with tries by Gareth Cullington early on and Ricky Helliwell, Lee Innes goaling one, before Andy Gargan, who was excellent at half-back for Acorn, pulled back a penalty.

Innes added a penalty after the interval to make it 12-2 but Acorn were still only two scores behind until the in-form Helliwell put in Tim Sutcliffe for a 65th-minute game-breaking try.

Acorn tried to hit back quickly but Innes intercepted for a length-of-the-field score and, although Gargan did pull a try back for the visitors, West Bowling made doubly sure of the spoils with a last-minute Phil Chappell try, with Innes adding his third goal.

Acorn's appeal into the decision by the league's disciplinary body to order a replay of the Blue and Golds match against Castleford Lock Lane will be heard tonight.

Acorn were leading that game last month when it was abandoned on 67 minutes. The York club have argued that, according to league rules, scorelines in matches that go beyond 65 minutes should stand.

Should they be awarded the two points, they will rise from seventh to sixth with a game in hand.

Updated: 10:14 Monday, November 28, 2005