YORK Acorn round off their National Conference League campaign on Saturday with the possibility of ending the season as York's highest-placed rugby league team.

Acorn set off on the long haul to Millom just two points behind neighbours Heworth in the division two table. But by boasting a superior points difference, victory in Cumbria would see the Blue and Golds leapfrog the Villagers, whose campaign has already ended, into fourth place.

Furthermore, with York Wasps' resignation from the Rugby Football League having been provisionally accepted, it may also see Acorn finish as the top-placed team in the city, amateur or otherwise.

However, coach Alan Hebblethwaite played down the importance of finishing higher than Heworth, stressing that he was concentrating more on looking ahead to next year and building for a renewed promotion push.

"I suppose it would be a nice feeling to finish as the top team in York in whatever division, but it's not the be all and end all.

"We've used the last three or four games to bring some under-18s through and I will do the same with this last game, to get them ready for next year."

Four players aged under 18 are likely to be in the travelling 17 this week, while there are a number of other youngsters in the squad.

Hebblethwaite added: "It's a big step up but they have to realise what they need to do and how hard they have to work over the summer.

"In the last few years we've decided to bring through young lads and this has boded well for the future.

"We've got stronger every year and, after a few years of finishing near the bottom, this season we've been up there most of the time battling for promotion.

"We now want to finish as high as possible to set us up nicely for next year."

Millom lost 23-2 at bottom club Keighley Albion last week, Albion's only win of the season, but Hebblethwaite reckons Saturday's game won't be easy.

"They will have a different team to play at home than that which travels away, so we're expecting a hard game," he said.

"You never get it easy up in Cumbria.

"It's a sapping drive, a long three and a half hours, which we could do without, but they have to travel to Lancashire or Yorkshire every other week so it's only fair we go up there."

Selby Warriors have a potential grudge match in store as they visit Upton in Yorkshire League division three.

The last time the sides met, earlier this year, the match was abandoned near the end with Selby trailing 12-10 after an altercation between Upton forward Mark Welsh and the referee.

It had been a bad-tempered affair throughout, with both teams having players sent off.

The Warriors players are asked to meet at the New Inn at 12.30pm or at the Horse and Jockey, Eggborough, at 1pm.

Heworth 'A', who are going for a top-four finish in YL division four, are due to entertain Stanley Rangers 'A'.

With their biggest rivals for fourth spot, East Leeds 'A', without a game, Heworth can go a long way to achieving their goal with a victory over mid-table dwellers Stanley.

Neither New Earswick All Blacks nor York Groves have a game.

Updated: 11:46 Thursday, April 04, 2002