Heworth ARLC co-coach Kev Fellows is to leave Elm-park Way to take charge of National Conference League rivals Featherstone Lions.

The former Selby Warriors boss will thus leave a team at the bottom of division two for a team at the foot of division one.

The Lions job - which used to be held by former York City Knights coach Richard Agar, who is now assistant at Hull FC - was vacated about a month ago by his brother, John Agar, who became player-coach at Yorkshire League giants Sharlston.

Fellows, co-coach at Heworth with Alfie Hill, applied for the post and is now to take charge with immediate effect.

Heworth spokes-man Ken Sykes exp-lained that, as Fellows lives near Castleford, this new job will greatly cut down his travelling while it also affords him sole control of a team.

Said Sykes: "It gives him the opportunity to have a team of his own rather than sharing one. We know he's got a tough job ahead but we wish him all the best. He was popular at Heworth and he's done a decent job for us."

Hill will now take solitary control at Elmpark Way, with the club likely to appoint an assistant in the near future.

His first task in sole charge will be to glean points from Saturday's clash with Widnes St Marie's, which starts a month of potentially key home games for the Villagers.

Heworth next week entertain Folly Lane in the GMB Union National Cup and then come Saddleworth before the league takes its festive break.

They will firstly have to overcome the loss of former Knights player Dan Briggs, who broke an ankle last week in his first hit-up of the game, though Sam Clarke and, hopefully, Nikki Wilson, should be fit after taking knocks.

Sykes added: "Stanningley last week weren't any better than us really but we gifted them some points and it was the same story for us. We're competing pretty well against most teams but we perhaps don't seem to have enough concentration or application to see it through.

"This week we're playing a team whose form has picked up recently. It's a crucial time for us coming up to Christmas. If we end with a couple of wins it will lift our spirits immensely but if not it would leave us with a lot to do next year."

York Groves will have to compete for the first time without player-coach Simon Moat after his horror injury against Selby a fortnight ago.

The Terriers were leading going into half-time when Moat broke a leg and ankle, an injury which left Groves short on numbers and instigated a second-half collapse.

Groves, not in action last week, visit lowly Cowling Harlequins in Pennine League division five.

That table is headed by Selby Warriors, who are four points clear, albeit having played more games than their immediate rivals. They reach the halfway mark of their campaign with a home game against Keighley Albion 'A'.

Updated: 10:38 Thursday, December 02, 2004