Victory for the Blue and Golds would almost certainly leave New Earswick All Blacks and Dewsbury Moor fighting to avoid the second re-election spot, with basement club Keighley Albion already well adrift.

If they do survive it will be a tremendous achievement for Acorn who at one stage looked odds-on for re-election. But the last month has turned their season around with three wins from their last four games and Ovenden's expulsion from the league helping them ease to safety.

Acorn will be looking to reproduce the form that saw them beat the Skolars 15-6 at home back in October but their challenge could be hampered by a lack of available players.

Several players could be missing through work commitments while talented teenage winger Allan Willitts is definitely ruled out with a back injury.

The Skolars are just starting to rediscover the form which saw them make a great start to the season before going off the boil, around the time that they were defeated by Acorn.

One of the York scorers that day was prolific try-scoring centre Gareth Lloyd whose 14 touch-downs so far has put him within two of becoming the second division's leading try-scorer.

Time is running out for rivals New Earswick All Blacks who need to win at least two out of their last three games to have any realistic chance of avoiding a re-election place.

But it will take a dramatic turn around in form if one of those victories is to come on Saturday with All Blacks facing a daunting trip to league leaders Ideal Isberg.

The Hull side, already promoted, have lost just one game all season and are still battling it out with Eccles for the championship trophy. New Earswick, on the other hand, have managed just one win since November, and that was against doomed Keighley Albion.

But the All Blacks can at least take heart from fielding a full-strength side and they will be sure to give it their best shot in a last-ditch attempt to salvage something from a season which began so promisingly.

Heworth have a blank weekend in the NCL premier division, as do Yorkshire League side York Groves.

In the Yorkshire Alliance first division, Heworth 'A' travel to Normanton. In the second division, York Acorn 'A' visit Batley Boys 'A' and New Earswick All Blacks 'A' entertain Drighlington.

Under-9s take centre stage

York Acorn Under-9s will be looking to preserve their 15-match unbeaten run when they take on Batley Boys in a curtain raiser to York Wasps' Premiership clash with Batley Bulldogs at Huntington Stadium on Sunday.

The game will kick-off at 11am, an hour before the Wasps. It should be a close encounter with Batley Boys having given Acorn a run for their money earlier in the season.

At half-time in the Wasps match, Acorn will be holding a collection for handicapped youngster Holly Byrne in a bid to raise £5,000 for a new wheelchair.

Fans are being encouraged to make a day of it on Sunday with the two games on the field being followed by the live showing of the Leeds v Bradford Challenge Cup semi-final on a giant screen in the Stadium bar.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.