HEWORTH ARLC opened their 2018 campaign with a hard-fought 32-16 win at Hull Wyke in the Yorkshire Men’s League first division.

A near perfect opening half-hour saw Scott Rhodes' men race into an 18-0 lead and this proved key as the Humbersiders came back strongly in the second period.

A strong drive by George Elliott, playing at stand-off, set up the position for prop Charlie Magill to crash over under the posts, Joe Deighton converting.

And the lead was quickly extended when scrum-half Liam Jackson – allowed to feature on dual-registration from York City Knights - took advantage of a gap on the blind side to score wide out. Again Deighton added the extras.

Then former player-coach Elliott ran 30 metres for another converted try to see Heworth go 18-0 ahead.

It seemed too easy, but Hull Wyke had other ideas as good handling resulted in Lewis White charging over, Alec Hardie converting

Nevertheless, Heworth retaliated with a Cameron Taylor try, the result of good work by the returning Josh Poulter, and, with Deighton converting, Heworth went into the break 24-6 to the good.

Home centre Ben Crane went over for an unconverted try to reduce the arrears before Jackson scored his second try from 50 metres out, again converted by Deighton.

A Deighton penalty soon after took the score to 30-10, the game now seemingly over.

But Crane scored his second try, converted by Hardie, to close the gap again and Wyke put considerable pressure on the Heworth defence and had a few chances before the whistle blew.

Jackson, the reigning York ARL Player of the Year who was signed by the Knights in the off-season, was Heworth's man of the match on his temporary return and there was good work also from centre Lewis Worthington and Poulter.

York Acorn 'A' began their campaign with a 33-16 defeat at Oulton 'A'.