YORK Acorn suffered their heaviest defeat of the season - losing 46-0 at title chasing Hunslet Club Parkside.

Not for the first time, Acorn had been forced into a number of team changes due to injuries and unavailability.

New signing Chris Fox, one of three players to join the team from York RUFC, made an encouraging debut but Acorn were never truly in the contest.

Hunslet, meanwhile, demonstrated exactly why they are level on points with leaders Underbank Rangers in the National Conference division one table.

Acorn’s attack failed to test a well-organized defence mainly because it was too one dimensional and lacked the injection of pace and numbers through the line to cause any kind of disruption.

They still tried hard in the forward exchanges and were well served by substitute forward Adam Endersby who was the pick of the Acorn players and worked tirelessly to stem the home side’s dominance.

Fox, who has swapped codes for the rest of the rugby union close season, proved to be a willing ball carrier and stout defender.

At the back, Acorn suffered because they were unable to stem the tackle off-loads, mainly from bustling prop forward Jamie Fields who regularly pulled defenders into the tackle before off-loading to willing support runners such as hooker Andy Hillock who ran in a hat-trick of tries.

Others to impress for the hosts were prop forward Luke Pettman and fullback Craig McShane - whose brother Paul is the hooker for Super League leaders Castleford Tigers as well as Parkside’s assistant coach.

McShane, interestingly, was in attendance and in high spirits after Castleford’s win against Leeds Rhinos at Headingley the previous evening.

Acorn struggled to get off the floor quickly enough - with or without the ball in hand - and their hosts were able to execute the skill to a superior level.

Going forward, Acorn will not have to dwell too long on this result as they now face further tough tests in the next fortnight against leaders Underbank and third placed Milford.

Acorn currently occupy a mid-table slot and will need to pick up points against sides lower down the table to stay in the promotion hunt.