HIGH-FLYING York Acorn ARLC’s challenge at the top of the National Conference premier division has been stalled by the weather.
Coach Alfie Hill was left cursing the cold snap when Saturday’s trip to Thatto Heath was postponed, leaving the club with five fixtures outstanding.
Games at Wigan St Judes, Oulton, Thatto Heath and Hull Dockers now have to be squeezed into the schedule, as well as a home clash with Siddal.
The Blue and Golds are four points behind leaders Leigh Miners Rangers with two games in hand, so Hill is keen to start playing catch up.
This coming Saturday is a designated cup weekend but, with Acorn out of the BARLA National Cup and Carnegie Challenge Cup, the club are hopeful of finalising a fixture today.
Hill said: “We have got a few fixtures piling up now and it could become a bit of a headache. If we were still in the cups it would be even worse. This weekend was left open for cup ties and I have a feeling we will get a game, which will be one chalked off the list. We will have to wait and see.”
The postponements have largely hit away fixtures and Hill said the club’s Thanet Road pitch was playable on Saturday despite the wintry conditions.
“You can’t do anything about the weather,” he said. “But our pitch is nearly always okay.
“It was fine on Saturday and there were games on it yesterday. That is the frustrating thing.
“We’ve now got ten games left and seven of them are away and only three at home.”
Hill fears the club’s surprise title challenge could falter in the face of that tough schedule.
“We already had a difficult run-in, with two Hull teams away in West Hull and Skirlaugh, and now we’ve got all these other games to fit in,” he said.
“The one thing you don’t want is to have to travel to Wigan or St Helens on a Wednesday night.”
A positive to come out of the postponement is that Jason Smith is likely to be fit for Saturday.
Hill was also buoyed by news about Mike Embleton, who was banned for two matches after being sent off in the Challenge Cup defeat by Halton Simms Cross.
The Acorn captain could miss this Saturday’s fixture and then rapidly complete his ban by sitting out Sunday’s York Select clash with York City Knights.
* Heworth’s trip to Crosfield in National Conference division two was also postponed.
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