York Acorn RLC's National Conference League play-off hopes have been left on a knife-edge after their last-gasp 20-16 defeat at Milford Marlins.

With six matches to go, Acorn occupy the fifth final play-off spot, and next week they entertain Skirlaugh, who are level on points and in the last end-of-season extras berth.

Acorn's away form has been their Achilles heel this season, though, and they must find a way of putting that right and continue to be strong on home soil if they are to stay in the play-off picture.

This defeat, however, was more about a poor patch midway through the first half than any bad luck late on.

Acorn started brightly and spent most of the opening ten minutes in their opponents' half, but once again their failure to really trouble a determined defence was only too evident.

To rub salt into their wounds, Milford scored on their first real foray into the Acorn 20 with an unconverted try on 12 minutes but, to their credit,

Acorn responded with an unconverted try by winger Stephen Mackley, who squeezed in at the left corner.

Milford then upped their game and Acorn's discipline faltered during the latter stages of the first half, leading to them conceding two tries for a half-time score of 14-4.

The interval was more productive for the visitors as, with props Tim Stubbs and Joe Porter dominating, Acorn held sway, and consequently centres Josh Potter and Jordan Myers looked dangerous.

On 60 minutes, Acorn cut the deficit when inspirational captain and loose forward Tom Hill exploded into space and went over the line for a try which substitute Anthony Chilton improved to make it 14-10.

Eleven minutes later, Potter crashed over off a well-timed pass from Chilton, who added the extras.

Denied a try because of a foot in touch by winger Ryan Gallagher, Acorn were left to rue that first-half bad patch when the Marlins scored a try wide out on the right that was awarded by the touch judge with four minutes remaining.

The conversion gave the hosts an undeserving 20-16 lead and Acorn. whose man of the match was stand-off Joe Budd, had no chance to respond.

Stubbs, Porter, Lewis Lord, Myers and Potter ran him close.