YORK Acorn brought the curtain down on their National Conference League division one campaign with a deserved 30-18 win at relegated Bradford Dudley Hill.

The win saw them finish seventh, one point off the final play-off spot, albeit a way off the pace in points difference.

Although largely a quintessential end-of-season dead rubber, the referee had to keep a lid on proceedings at times but, when the game was allowed to flow whistle-free, Acorn enjoyed plenty of possession without really converting the pressure into points.

The first half lacked real quality and the defences were not really tested in the opening quarter until stand-off Lewis Lord went crashing over near the posts around the 25-minute mark, with Josh Parker adding the extras.

But the hosts were level just before the break as an Acorn kick on the fifth tackle close to the tryline somehow found its way into home hands and a swift counter attack ended with the hosts crossing for a converted score.

Acorn's 39th-minute response was the one true moment of quality in a heretofore drab encounter when they engineered an opening down their attacking left where quality attacking play between Lord and centre Jordan Myers released teenage winger Parker to race over from 40 yards and kick the extras himself.

The visitors began the second half brightly and soon increased their advantage to 16-6 as a sublime pass under pressure from Lord was kicked out wide by full back Joe Budd and pounced upon by winger Hayden Barber for an unconverted score.

Myers produced another rare moment of quality on 49 minutes as he weaved his way over from a position of no real threat just inside the Dudley half for an unconverted score.

The hosts came back on 55 minutes with a converted score close to the posts that reduced Acorn's lead to eight points.

But, just after the hour mark, Acorn opened up a two-score margin again as Budd was able to beat his marker and race in from 30 yards for another unconverted try.

Once again, Dudley Hill refused to lie down and, on 68 minutes, managed a converted try to leave themselves only six points adrift, despite several tacklers seeming to get their bodies under the ball near the corner flag.

The game-clinching score came on 75 minutes, when scrum half Lewis Brown capitalized on a clever attacking kick into the Dudley 20-metre zone before picking up a Myers offload to cross for a try goaled by Parker.

As well as Lord, Budd and Myers, Acorn were well served by Adam Endersby, Josh Thompson and Jack Byrne on a day when graft was more prominent than craft.