NEW Earswick All Blacks and York Groves face crucial last matches at opposite ends of their respective leagues on Saturday.

All Blacks entertain Ossett Trinity wanting two points to boost their promotion challenge in Yorkshire League division one, while the Terriers complete their Pennine League division four campaign needing to win at high-riding Spotland to have any chance of avoiding the drop.

All Blacks, the White Rose Trophy finalists, lie fourth in the table but look likely to be granted four points from their two unplayed matches, which would lift them to third.

That would mean Saturday's game is their last in the league and the club want a win to confirm their third-place finish and boost their chances of going up to the senior division under re-shaping of the league.

Spokesman Simon Malarkey said: "We don't yet know if two or three teams will get promoted but obviously the more points we get the better and the more chance we've got of going up."

Groves lie second from bottom in their table, two points below Undercliffe, who have completed their fixtures, but with a better points difference. A victory would therefore lift Simon Moat's men out of the drop zone and would leave bottom club Wyke needing to win two of their four remaining matches to leapfrog them.

Groves secretary Ian Colley was under no illusion about the size of the task against second-placed Spotland, adding: "There are several injuries to add to the equation and player-coach Simon Moat requires all players not injured to make themselves available for selection."

Updated: 12:04 Thursday, May 01, 2003