A Catalogue of injuries eventually cost New Earswick All Blacks a surprise victory at promotion chasing Crosfields.

At one stage the All Blacks led the Warrington outfit 14-4 but, after four players were forced to leave the field, they tired and were beaten 20-14.

The most serious was centre Paul Meillan, who dislocated the same shoulder which had recently been operated on. He spent the night in a hospital in Warrington.

Until then they looked well placed to snatch a vital two points in their battle to avoid the re-election zone in the National Conference League second division.

Fourth-placed Crosfields opened the scoring after ten minutes with a try by full-back Rob Ditchfield.

It looked ominous for New Earswick when player-coach Mick McTigue had to leave the field with a rib injury, soon followed by prop Rich Harrison who had been suffering with illness all week.

But to their credit they fought back and took the lead. Mick Harrison was awarded a penalty try when he was pulled back while following up his own chip kick.

Dave Carling slotted over the conversion then added a penalty ten minutes into the second half to make it 8-4 to the visitors.

They spent the next ten minutes camped on the Crosfields line and had a try by Andy Fletcher ruled out for a forward pass.

There was no doubt about their next try though, Carling taking the ball on his own line and beating three men before shrugging off the full-back to score a length of the field effort.

Mick Harrison tagged on the extras while Carling was catching his breath to put the All Blacks well in command. Then came the injury to Meillan and fellow centre Carl Pallister who went off with a dead arm.

With no substitutes left they soon began to tire and tries by Paul Williams and Lee Smith, plus one conversion by Andy Holdroyd, pulled Crosfields level.

All Blacks then suffered heartbreak five minutes from time when scrum-half Dave Gibbons went over for the match-winning try, goaled by Holdroyd.

Carling was the All Blacks' man of the match, closely followed by Mick Harrison, Simon Malarkey and Andy Fletcher.

Missing from the team was outstanding half-back Lee Paterson who has gone on trial with Super League club Hull FC.

York Acorn, fielding several under-18s, also came close to springing a shock as they led second division title contenders Thatto Heath 14-10 with 15 minutes to go.

But the league's top try-scorer, Mike Woods, went in for two tries late on to complete his hat-trick and earn Heath a 24-14 win.

Acorn replied to an early penalty from Wayne Jackman to score the first try of the game, teenage winger Shaun Gilmoor pouncing on Stephen Waldron's chip to score his first senior try.

Full-back Jon Hough added the extras from the touchline.

Tries by Jackman and Woods gave the St Helens side a 10-6 half-time lead before Hough edged Acorn to within two points with a penalty goal.

Acorn stunned the hosts on 60 minutes when their man of the match, 18-year-old scrum half Johnny Waldron, dispossessed his opposite number at a Thatto scrum and raced in from 20 yards out for a try goaled by Hough.

But the game-breaker came on 66 minutes when Darren Mitchell dived over from acting half for a try goaled by Jackman.

Heworth completed a day of narrow defeats for the York sides as they were beaten 13-8 at home by Rochdale Mayfield.

They too could feel aggrieved not to have caused an upset against the first division promotion chasers, with John Coulson, Mark Green, Dan Briggs, Nikki Wilson and man of the match Jason Gatus all outstanding for Heworth.

Mayfield had led 10-4, Gavin Grant getting Heworth's try following a break from Sam Clarke and Carl Potter.

Two Potter penalties pulled it back to 10-8 but Mayfield veteran Chris Wilkinson had the final word as he banged over a field goal and late penalty.

York Groves were beaten 32-4 at Queenswood in Yorkshire League division five.

Updated: 11:38 Monday, April 02, 2001