YORK Acorn ARLC face another crucial clash in the race for the play-offs boosted by more international call-ups for two of their crew.

Acorn, seventh in the National Conference premier division, go to fifth-placed Leigh Miners Rangers with coach Alfie Hill saying they probably have to win each of their last four games following last week’s heavy defeat at second-placed Siddal if they are to reach the top six.

That 50-15 loss might have knocked confidence but Hill reckons they can bounce back, while two of the squad – Tom Hill and Joe Budd – will go into the game with personal fillips after being named in the BARLA Great Britain Under-23s party for the summer tour to Ukraine.

Head coach Hill said: “We caught Siddal in a bad mood after their defeat (to Wigan St Patrick’s) and they played really well.

“If we want to be a good side like them we have to work hard in the next game no matter what the result in the previous match. You can’t take anything for granted. You always have to work that bit harder, and that’s what Siddal do.”

Siddal finished last season top of the table. Hill added: “They were back on song last week and we want to be back on song this week. It’s what we’ve got to do if we want to be in the same league as them – we have to work like teams like that.

“There was a good response at training and hopefully we can put last week’s nightmare behind us on Saturday.

“We’ve got to win every game now. We have to catch St Pat’s and East Hull have crept up just behind us as well and are back on song.”

Centre Kyle Palmer could be back after his hamstring injury though playmaker Jon Liddell is now a doubt with the same problem. Prop Davey Burns misses out due to work commitments but Simon Wadsworth is available again and could be a straight swap.

Meanwhile, Tom Hill – a previous BARLA U23s tour captain and BARLA open age international – and Budd have received further recognition having been recent picks in the Great Britain Community Lions squad.

They could yet go on tour with that side to South Africa in July, following the BARLA U23s June trip to Ukraine, for which the Acorn club are hoping to raise the necessary funds of £550 per player.

Heworth have just three games remaining in their quest to find a win this season, starting at Rochdale Mayfield on Saturday.

Club spokesman Ken Sykes said: “It will be tough again this week. Rochdale had a good win over Stanningley last time out, but our young squad remain positive, and (player-coach) Chris Smith hopes to continue to lead by example.”

The same 17 that lost to Milford are expected to play, with no new injury worries reported.

There is a derby in Yorkshire League division two where lowly Heworth ‘A’ host Acorn ‘A’. Heworth failed to raise a team last week but might get numbers out in a bid to get one over on their city rivals.