YORK Acorn ARLC coach Josh Mortimer has warned his side against complacency this weekend - despite having just registered their "second-best performance of the year".

On Saturday, the Blue and Golds travel to bottom side Dewsbury Moor Maroons in National Conference League division one off the back of a 36-22 win over Stanningley.

Mortimer issued the caveat, however, that the Maroons' league standing could be deceptive since the two games they have lost were 32-4 to table-toppers Pilkington Recs and 23-22 to Stanningley, for whom Mortimer has high praise.

He said: "They're bottom but I spoke to the Stanningley coach and he said they're a good team.

"They may have lost twice, and by 28 points against Pilks, but that match report said the scoreline didn't reflect the game.

"I said to the lads there are no easy games and this is the same. We can't rock up thinking we're all-stars and we're going to do a job on them.

"They'll have a point to prove at home and we're going to have to work hard to get a result."

On last year's division two champions, Stanningley, he added: "I think they're the best team we've played this year.

"I was really happy with (Acorn). We played to our shape and we scored some points off that. Defensively, we were pretty good, apart from that last 20 minutes.

"They knew they had the job done so their minds started to wander.

"But we showed what we can do.

"It was probably our second-best performance of the year behind Wath Brow (in the Challenge Cup second round).

"They played really well for 60 minutes, conceded no penalties in the first half and only made five errors all game, which isn't so bad, but we didn't put them on the rack for the last 20 minutes.

"But Stanningley were good and it wasn't as easy a game as the scoreline suggested. They came on strong in the first 15-20 minutes and I told the starting middles they had lost the arm wrestle, though they did buck up for the five minutes before I changed it."

The win came at a cost, though, with Ryan Gallacher (broken hand) and Jordan Hyde (neck) both casualties and unlikely to feature this weekend. Joining them on the sidelines are Tom Hill and Josh Thompson, both banned.

Daryl North and Nick Speck could return, while centres Pedro Bulmerio and Martin Pedersen-Scott - Portuguese and Danish internationals, respectively - and 'A' team players Conor Page and Alex Hardcastle could be brought in.

Heworth return to action in division three against Hunslet Warriors after a week's break. The Villagers' 'A' team host Sheffield Forgers in a friendly.

New Earswick All Blacks and Acorn 'A' have a week's break before their Yorkshire Men's League campaign kicks off on Saturday, April 6.