New Earswick All Blacks' dreams of lifting the Pennine League third division title were shattered when they were beaten at home by champions-elect Halifax Irish.

A big White Rose Avenue crowd were treated to a fine game with the visitors maintaining their 100 per cent league record with a 28-20 win.

Irish, who had won all their previous 17 league matches this season, took an early lead with a penalty, but All Blacks went ahead when a Ben Jones pass sent in Eddie Keeping for a try which Jones converted.

Irish were back in front inside four minutes with a converted try and Earswick's cause was not helped when Jones was sin-binned.

But the home side dug deep and after half an hour Keeping put in Jamie Rhodes as All Blacks' retained the lead. When the visiting scrum-half was sin-binned for protesting, the balance of power appeared to be shifting towards the home side.

But three tries - two of them converted - in a ten-minute period either side of half-time saw Irish forge into a 24-10 lead.

New Earswick got back into it with a Carl Potter try, created by Liam Gargan.

On the hour Lee Mapals, making his debut, span out of the grasp of three tacklers on his own line and ran the full length of the field to score a try which he also converted to bring All Blacks within four points of the visitors.

Both sides had chances to win the game in the later stages but it was the Halifax team who snapped up a try in the corner to seal victory.

Dan Wellard was named All Blacks' man of the match with Jez Petch and Rhodes also having good games.

All Blacks, who are already assured of promotion, have three league games remaining and take on York Acorn in the York and District Cup on Wednesday night.

Acorn, who are still catching up on their National Conference division one fixtures take on Hunslet Warriors at Thanet Eoad tonight (Tuesday) (6.45pm).

Updated: 10:33 Tuesday, April 18, 2006