YORK Acorn A celebrated their first Yorkshire Men’s League victory of the season with a surprise 32-24 defeat of neighbours Heworth.

The game was evenly matched and, with Heworth being in front ten minutes from time, it seemed as though bottom-of-the-table Acorn’s wait for that maiden elusive triumph was going to be extended into a ninth match..

But old-boy Joe Burns had different ideas, first going over the line to give the hosts a two-point lead and, then, becoming the architect of the final try that saw youngster Reece Maynard score under the posts to seal the win with only two minutes left.

Earlier, Karl Harton (2), Ben Dale and Paul Cross has crossed the line for Acorn with Burns adding three conversions.

Fourth-placed Heworth, meanwhile, had George Elliot (2), Liam Jackson and Liam Richmond on the scoresheet, along with Joe Deighton, who was also successful with a hat-trick of kicks.

The visitors got the first points on the board on two minutes when scrum-half Jackson, who had an outstanding game, showed his skills to exploit poor defending.

Deighton then made it 6-0.

Acorn hit back on ten minutes, with Mark Sanderson making a break and Dale on hand to touch down, while Burns levelled the scores.

The home side went on to take the lead when Harton, who ran Burns close for the man-of-the-match honours, proved too strong for the Heworth defence.

Burns’ conversion made it 12-6.

But Heworth player-coach Elliot was next to cross the line and Deighton, ever impressive with the boot, got his team back on terms.

Acorn nudged ahead again with Harton being the enforcer, eventually finding his way over the line for a second time, with Burns converting.

But sustained away pressure paid off on the stroke of half time, as second-row Richmond forced his way over, with Deighton again accurate with the boot, as his team went into the break deadlocked at 18-18.

Five minutes into the second period, Acorn were back in front, as winger Cross received the ball with space to run at the line out wide, but Burns was unable to convert.

Within two minutes, Heworth turned the tables with a determined Elliot again the protagonist to claim a try that gave Deighton the opportunity to display his impervious kicking skills once more.

On 72 minutes, Burns had the home side in the ascendancy again following a show-and-go that left the defence wanting.

But Acorn’s failure to convert ensured a tense finale.

The outcome was settled, though, as Burns kicked to clear the Acorn lines and get the ball as far downfield as possible.

Maynard then chased the kick and a favourable bounce of the ball, in front of the advancing Heworth full back, landed in his hands and he touched down between the sticks to secure an exciting triumph.