YORK Acorn's hopes of winning promotion from National Conference League division two received a mighty blow as they crashed 22-8 at home to Castleford Panthers.

The Blue and Golds remain only two points off second spot but the two teams above them have games in hand and to achieve promotion they really should be beating mid-table teams like the Panthers.

However, they can have no qualms about their defeat as they allowed the visitors to win without having to play that well. Hooker Lee Frank, Alan Willitts and Adam Endersby were prominent for Acorn but it was generally a poor display.

The outcome hinged on the second half in which the visitors scored three tries without reply, despite playing against the wind.

Those second 40 minutes saw Chris Hepworth race half the length of the pitch for a fine individual try and thereafter Acorn could never wrest away the Panthers' control.

Keiron Hickman and scrum-half Jonathan Warren were prominent for Castleford and two more tries came from Andrew Smith and Sean Wales to seal their win.

The first half had been closely fought, Panthers only going in at the break with a 10-8 advantage.

An eighth-minute try out wide by Steven Irving for Acorn had cancelled out Smith's opening touchdown, scored after some woeful tackling.

However, Panthers were soon back in front as second row Rich Hewitt bulldozed over, winger Wales adding the extras.

Five minutes from the break, stand-off Johnny Waldron crossed for Acorn but this proved to be the hosts' final score.

Updated: 12:13 Monday, February 11, 2002