THEY have been waiting a while, but York Acorn ARLC finally get to finish their relegation season in the National Conference League premier division on Saturday - and then crack on with plans for a promotion push next term.

Acorn will end bottom of the table after only three wins in 21 outings back in amateur rugby league's elite tier ahead of this weekend's final match, over the Pennines at Pilkington Recs.

It's a dead rubber, with Acorn long since doomed and Pilkington out of the running for the play-offs while safe from relegation, and, for Blue and Golds head coach Leigh Paul-Rientoul it's a case of getting it over with and preparing for next season.

"It's a matter of getting this game out of the way," he said bluntly, with his side hit by injuries and unavailability.

"Hopefully we've learned a lot from this year and the lads will stick together and try to improve next year and finish in the top two.

"That (promotion) is the aim most definitely."

On that score, Paul-Rientoul thinks a reduction in travelling next season will be a major help.

"If Askam don't get promoted out of division two (they're in the play-offs), there won't be any Cumbrian teams in division one and only one maybe two from outside Yorkshire," he explained.

"For us that's great. The travelling will be a lot easier and we'll have more players available and hopefully more committed if they don't have to sit on a bus for four hours.

"We have a lot of lads who work on Saturdays. With Cumbrian trips you have to set off at 8am so they either can't work or can't come, whereas if we set off at 12 or 1pm, lads can the morning shift in at work."

Meanwhile, tickets are available for Acorn's end-of-season presentation evening, to be held at the Marriot Hotel on Friday, October 14. Great Britain legend Paul Sculthorpe is the guest speaker at the three-course dinner. Tickets cost £30 and are available from Paul-Rientoul on 07854 378293.