HEWORTH ARLC secretary Ken Sykes has hailed the Villagers’ improvised arrangement with York City Knights a success.

The city’s professional club have played their last two home matches at Heworth’s Elmpark Way ground as the community stadium saga continues to leave them homeless.

The Knights have won both games and Sunday’s victory over Swinton lifted them to third in the table, with the attendance of 511 also an improvement on recent weeks, even if it is much less than envisaged had the club been playing at Bootham Crescent as in the original stadium project plan.

Sykes said: “It’s gone well really. As far as Heworth are concerned, we’ve coped pretty well I think.

"I heard second hand that the Swinton coach said our facilities were better than what they’ve got - whether it’s true or not I don’t know but it’s good to hear.

“I do know our playing surface is top quality. The crowd are right next to the pitch and when I went out there was a reasonable atmosphere.

“We get something from it, obviously, through the bar takings, and we’re quite happy to help them out.”

Heworth’s own team, meanwhile, go to Normanton ‘A’ on Saturday looking for improvements in order to complete a league double over their hosts and get their Yorkshire Men’s League campaign back on track.

The Villagers’ match against Hunslet Warriors ‘A’ was called off last Saturday as the Warriors were unable to raise a team.

It meant they had to wait an extra week to bounce back from their 46-22 defeat to second-placed Shaw Cross Sharks ‘A’, a result which saw them fall off the pace set by the top two in division two.

Sykes said: “It was disappointing the game was off. We’re generally doing okay but the defeat to Shaw Cross was not too clever. We didn’t play particularly well.

“We were 24-0 down after maybe half an hour although we’d had good chances ourselves.

“It was a pretty dismal opening. We came back to 30-22 and looked like doing something but they ran away with it at the end.”

Key player Chris Varley should be back this weekend.

Sykes added: “We’ve been competitive in every game, which is a good thing, and we beat Norman - ton last time so it would be good to complete a double.”

Heworth ‘A’ also have a match on Saturday, at home to Bentley ‘A’ in the YML entry division.

York Lokomotive go to Keighley Albion looking to bounce back from defeat to Knottingly Worms in their top-of-the-table clash.

The Lokos gave arguably their worst performance of the season that day.

Meanwhile, York Acorn head coach Scott Rhodes will be back for Saturday’s National Conference League trip to Elland - and he will also be demanding improvements.

Rhodes was away getting married last weekend so missed their 34-24 defeat at Hunslet Warriors.

The Blue and Golds remain in the play-off places in division one but are now four points off the top two.

Acorn ‘A’ host Mirfield Stags in a top-of-the-table clash in Yorkshire Men’s League division one. Victory will see Leigh Rientoul’s side go to the summit with games in hand on fellow high-fliers.