BATTLING Heworth ARLC belied their basement position in National Conference division two in a 24-14 home defeat by third-placed Castleford Lock Lane.

The Villagers matched their visitors in the opening 20 minutes, but slack defending saw Lock Lane grab three tries in eight minutes.

Prop Craig Jones crossed for the Cas side’s opening score on 28 minutes and second-row Wayne Hardy converted.

Jones went over the whitewash again four minutes later and centre Jon Walton’s score on 36 minutes made it 14-0 at the break.

Centre Tom Wood touched down and Hardy converted seven minutes into the second half and Heworth trailed 20-0.

Lock Lane scrum-half Karl Robinson was sin-binned for dissent on 58 minutes and Heworth took full advantage. Centre Jon Jewitt jinked over two minutes later and prop Ben Potter added the extras.

Good passing along the line created a second try for Jewitt on 65 minutes, although Potter’s kick hit an upright.

Walton got his second try on 70 minutes before Heworth second-rower Ben Eastwood was sent off for abusing the referee.

Stand-off Adam Jones rounded off the scoring for Heworth with a cheeky try, chipping over the Lock Lane defence before going over.

Heworth were well served by Jones and forwards Chris Varley, Adam Jobling, Ben and Carl Potter, and Josh Bolam.

Meanwhile, York Acorn remain second from bottom in the premier division after a 28-12 defeat at Hull Dockers.

The Blue and Golds opened the scoring in the eighth minute when Simon Wadsworth took a superb Jon Liddell pass to score.

Liddell goaled and Acorn led 6-0.

However, in the 11th minute, Dockers hit back when winger Robbie Smith crossed in the corner after some excellent passing.

Hooker Steve Sellers darted over from a play the ball in the 15th minute to catch the visitors unaware. Stand-off Chris Stephenson goaled. In the 20th minute, loose forward Nick Powley pounced on a kick in the in-goal area to increase the hosts’ lead and Stephenson goaled.

Acorn kept at it and Wadsworth bagged his second on 32 minutes, again after good work from Liddell, to make it 16-12 at half-time.

Dockers stretched the lead in the 52nd minute when scrum-half Karl Smirk backed up for a try goaled by Stephenson. With ten minutes left Powley scored his second, with Stephenson’s goal making it 28-12.

An improved Acorn performance featured outstanding efforts from Liddell, Martin McTigue and Kevin Brayshaw.