IT doesn't get any easier for York Acorn ARLC - after National Conference League leaders Siddal last week come treble winners Leigh Miners to Thanet Road this Saturday.

However, head coach Leigh Paul-Rientoul is hoping a successful trip to Serbia for a Blue and Gold quartet can rub off on the relegation-threatened club.

While Acorn battled away in a 32-8 NCL defeat Siddal, Paul-Rientoul was abroad coaching a Yorkshire Men's League representative XIII to a 16-14 victory over a Serbia national team ranked 12th in the world - bizarrely above the likes of Tonga and Samoa.

And that game was won thanks to a late try by Acorn veteran Mike Embleton, his second of the contest, and also featured prominent performances from 'A' team club-mates Dan Lazenby at full-back and James Bromwich at prop.

Scott Rhodes, Paul-Rientoul's predecessor as Acorn boss, and star player Tom Hill, his assistant, took charge for the match at Siddal and Paul Rientoul said: "From what I've heard I don't think we played badly but we were just beaten by a better side.

"I don't mind that as long as we're improving - it's not as frustrating as losing to a worse team.

"I doesn't get any easier, though, does it - Siddal last week now the treble winners."

Acorn are boosted by the return from university of Lewis Lord and hope Jack Stewart will be free from work commitments to play.

Paul-Rientoul added: "We're trying to stay positive and together as a group and make sure we're still enjoying it, which can be difficult when you're losing. We can get out of the drop zone - we're just taking it week by week."

The trip to Serbia included a 60-12 warm-up victory over Belgrade, in which Embleton and Lazenby both scored, prior to the Test win.

"It was brilliant," said Paul-Rientoul of the long weekend.

"I think we deserved to win (the Test). We scored four tries but missed all our conversions and they only scored one try, with the rest coming from penalties. It was great, from Acorn's perspective, that Mike got two tries including the winner five minutes from time.

"We got hit by a storm half way through which turned the game but we managed to get the win.

"The good thing is Serbia are ranked 12th in the world and we turned them over."

Embleton, Lazenby and Bromwich could be back in Acorn 'A' action on Saturday as they go to lowly Hull Wyke in the YML premier division.

Heworth go to bottom team King Cross Park seeking back-to-back wins in division one, while York Lokomotive have a tough one at home to Cutsyke in division two.