HAT-TRICKS from full-back Fraser West and scrum-half Liam Jackson helped Heworth beat Mirfield Stags 42-16 to stay top of the Yorkshire Men’s League division one.

Despite lacking several regular players, the Villagers quickly seized the initiative at their Elmpark Way home after posting five tries during a blistering first half to lead 26-12 at the break.

The hosts went on to add three further touchdowns in the second period to seal a fourth consecutive victory.

Before the game, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of former Heworth and York rugby league forward Richard “Frank” Fowler, who passed away recently.

After only three minutes, stand-off Lewis Brown and centre/player-coach George Elliott then combined to put winger Harry Radcliffe over for an unconverted try.

Four minutes later, West fielded a clearing kick from inside his own half and sliced through the visitors’ defence to race 70 metres and touch down under the posts for wingman Adam Dent to add the conversion.

The Villagers now looked unstoppable and, on 13 minutes, Jackson was over the line, followed almost immediately by hooker Dave Hayes, who stepped his way in from close range and, with Dent adding the extras to both scores, the home side led 22-0 after 21 minutes.

Mirfield showed some resilience and battled back with tries by props Phil Shotton and Harry Scholes, which were both improved by full-back Ross Hayden, before Heworth had a Liam Richmond effort chalked off for a forward pass.

They did, however, regain control four minutes from the break when Jackson sent West in for his second touchdown.

The Black and Whites went further ahead nine minutes into the second half when centre Ross Varley gathered up a loose ball on halfway before being tackled 20 metres from the line and, from the resulting play the ball, Jackson sped over and Brown converted to give them an unassailable 20-point lead.

Six minutes later Jackson dummied his way over to complete his hat-trick and Brown’s second goal made it 38-12.

The final quarter became a scrappy affair and it wasn’t until the 78th minute that West registered his third and Heworth’s final try.

But the visitors had the last word with Hayden intercepting a stray pass and sprinting away to touch down in injury time.

West and Jackson were the joint man-of-the-match winners