“If it was based on half-time results, we’d be at the top of the league. But unfortunately it’s not.”

So said Heworth boss Scott Rhodes as he reflects on his side’s transition back to the NCL Premier Division.

The Villagers gained promotion to the amateur game’s top flight for the first time since 1999 following a 46-6 thrashing of Oulton Raiders in their Division One promotion decider at the end of September.

That capped off the founder club’s rise back up the pyramid from the Yorkshire Men’s League to the cream of the community crop.

Heworth sit eighth in their first season back in the Premier Division, with Rhodes conceding that his side have at times, found the adjustment difficult.

“It’s tough, it’s really tough,” the head coach told The Press.

“I think we always knew it was going to be a tough division to come into being the lowest-ranked team in the competition. We came up in third position from Division One, we are the lowest-ranked team.

“But we’ve been in a lot of games that we have lost, it’s not like we’ve come in and teams are pumping us by 20 or 30 points - we’ve lost by 12 points, six points, eight points.”

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Heworth welcome Thatto Heath Crusaders to Elmpark Way this afternoon (2:30pm) fresh from retaining the bragging rights in their cross-city derby with York Acorn last weekend.

A Tyler Craig double alongside further tries from George Burton and Liam Richmond propelled the Black and Whites to a 20-16 victory at Thanet Road, but it did not come without cost, with half-back Callum Rutland breaking his leg shortly after returning from an ACL injury.

The Villagers have been thrown in at the deep end so far this season, with the wet weather seeing them start with a run of away games, including at reigning champions Hunslet ARLFC and high-flying West Hull.

And Rhodes concedes that errors that may not have gone unpunished in their rise up the leagues most certainly are being this season.

“They’re all good sides, and in this division, they just don’t let you off the hook,” he explained.

“Any kind of errors you make, they don’t let you off, they punish you. You don’t get that in the lower leagues.

“That’s what we’ve found so far - teams have punished us for our errors. We’ve got to be better in that area.

“We’ve showed what we’re capable of and and what we can do, but we’re a young side and we’ve got to be consistent.

“We had seven players under 21 against Egremont, and sometimes you don’t always get that consistency there.

“A lot of the games we’ve played this year, they could have swung either way, but our errors have just seen the other team take it away.

“But overall I’m pleased and I’m really proud of the lads, the way they’re showing up, training and conducting themselves, so long may it continue!”