YORK Acorn's hopes of reaching the Challenge Cup fourth round for the first time were dashed by a Featherstone Lions fight-back.

Acorn let slip a 10-8 half-time lead, eventually losing 20-10 to a physically dominant Lions outfit after an error-strewn second half display.

Once again the game had its usual flashpoint that saw both sides have a player sent off midway through the second half following a flare up in back play. That came after Featherstone had scored a vital try that put daylight between the sides for the first time.

Acorn couldn't have made a better start to the game when a lovely Lewis Brown kick close to the Fev try line was snapped up by Ryan Gallacher who threw a cute dummy before crossing for a first minute unconverted try.

The first half saw Acorn play against the wind and they found it difficult at times to gauge its strength. More surprisingly, Featherstone weren't using it to their advantage.

On one of the rare moments they did, a Jake Perkins cross-field kick eluded the Acorn defence on 14 minutes and centre Danny Glassell was on hand to score an equalising, unconverted try to tie the scores up at 4-4.

Acorn were guilty of giving away far too many soft penalties, that allowed their visitors chances to add to the scoreboard.

The damage was finally done in the 25th minute when centre Gaz Gale slipped the ball out for winger Connor Paver to score an unconverted try in the corner.

Acorn then managed to score a well constructed try that started in the Fev 20.

Their half backs Chilton and Brown produced some fine attacking play before an expert spin and off load by second rower Jordan Hyde allowed full back Jake Calam to race in for an unconverted 36th minute try that tied the scores up.

Acorn edged 10-8 in front just before half-time by virtue of a 39th minute penalty goal from Chilton.

After the restart, Acorn strangely couldn't find any real time in their opponents' half of the field. Instead they spent long periods of the half defending their own try line.

To their credit, they defended well before eventually starting to tire and make mistakes.

The crucial score came on 55 minutes when Danny Glassell cut through to score yet another unconverted score that edged the visitors back in front at 12-10.

The away side were out-enthusing Acorn and having the better of the crucial moments.

The game erupted, both on the scoreboard and off it, when Fev hooker Scott Glassell barnstormed his way over from the halfway line for another unconverted score that put his side 16-10 in front.

While the try was being scored, fun and games erupted further up the pitch in back play, resulting in both sides having a player red carded.

For Acorn it was prop forward Tom Hill, while substitute Richard Frankland received the same card for his involvement.

Soon afterwards both sides were playing with 11 men following the sin-binning of Acorn sub forward Josh Thompson and

Featherstone's Danny Glassell for another incident.

The game's final score came on 72 minutes when the visitors' man-of-the-match, prop forward Ben Mawson, crashed over from close range for yet another wind-affected, unconverted score that gave them the winning scoreline at 20-10.

Acorn went close to reducing the arrears when their lively full back Calam had the ball punched out by Gale in the act of scoring.