YORK Acorn ARLC boss Leigh Paul-Rientoul hasn't ruled out a great escape but knows defeat this weekend will all but confirm their relegation from the National Conference League premier division.

The Blue and Golds, in their first season back in amateur rugby league's elite tier, sit second bottom, six points from safety with four games to go, and face an immediate return to division one 12 months after their memorable play-off triumph.

After two blank weekends they go on the road to third-bottom Egremont on Saturday (2.30pm) needing victory to claw back the gap to fourth-bottom Lock Lane, as well as a vastly inferior points-difference record.

"It's a nice game back after two weeks off," joked Paul-Rientoul of the long trek to west Cumbria.

"We need to win to have any chance of staying up. We need to win all four really, and hope other results go our way. If we don't win this weekend, that's it.

"But hopefully we'll make a good day of it and see if something comes on the back of it."

Paul-Rientoul has not been cheered by player availability, however, with four first-teamers - Harry Bromwich, Jack Byrnes, Jordan Myers and Jack Stewart - away on holiday.

Prop Joe Porter, arguably the standout player this season, is back from injury though, while James Bromwich and Haiden Barber are among those who could earn call-ups. Paul-Rientoul himself might also don the boots again for a third time this season.

He added: "We're not giving up. Realistically I can't see them (Lock Lane and Egremont) losing all four, but we can only do what we can do, and then we'll see. You never know."

Acorn 'A', likely to be weakened by first-team call-ups, face an already tough assignment at title hopefuls West Bowling in the Yorkshire Men's League premier division.

The home team are second, two points off top spot, while the Thanet Road reserves have slipped into their own relegation battle, sitting fourth from bottom.

Heworth also have a tough task as they go to title favourites Batley Boys in their penultimate match in division one.

The Villagers sit in mid-table after a consolidation season under George Elliott, but former Pennine League big-guns Batley are on the verge of promotion, lying second, three points behind leaders Bentley but with four games in hand. Only a backlog of fixtures is their one real hurdle.

York Lokomotive, bottom of division two with one game left, are without a fixture.