YORK Acorn ARLC boss Simon Tuffs has challenged his side to overturn the formbook and win their next four National Conference premier division games on the trot.

Tuffs was “hugely disappointed” by last week’s 36-18 loss at West Hull and by the team’s attitude in training in the build-up, and he has warned that without an upturn they will struggle to get out of the relegation zone.

However, there has been a positive reaction to his rollicking and, with a couple of first-teamers set to return, to add to a couple of potential changes, he is hopeful they can quickly climb the table.

Acorn have two home games on the trot, against East Hull this Saturday and then Hull Dockers, and they then face fellow stragglers Wigan St Patrick’s away and Wigan St Jude’s at home in successive weeks.

Tuffs said: “The players need to realise what it takes to win week in week out at this level. In the week after the Skirlaugh game, which was our most consistent performance this season, training dropped off, with players thinking it was job done.

“I made it clear that if it carried on like that it would be a struggle to get off the bottom of the league and a couple of senior players also spoke up, and we had a good reaction at training this week.

“Hopefully we’ll have that on Saturday and we can get back to playing consistently.

“I’ve given them the challenge of winning the next four games. If we do that, with everyone beating everyone else, we could be on the fringes of the play-offs.

“We’re good enough to do it but they’ve got to put the effort in to get the rewards.”

Danny Caldwell and Kyle Palmer should return from injury while Steve Ramsay is rated 50-50. Josh Mortimer, Matt Withers and Jimmy Mountford could also be called up after impressing in the ‘A’ team.

Heworth should have prop Adam Jobling back as they look to return to winning ways in division two at home to East Leeds – but they will have to do so without a trio of first-teamers.

The Villagers suffered the huge blow last week of losing key attacking weapon Marcus Allan to another long-term injury. He returned from a season out after a knee reconstruction only to break an ankle in training ahead of last week’s draw at Ovenden.

Also big doubts, having missed last week’s share-all, are Adam Caddie (ribs) and Liam Cochrane (knee).

Club spokesman Ken Sykes hoped they could overcome those absences and record a third victory of term after dropping points recently.

“We’ve slipped up a bit – we should have won at Crosfields and, while we were pleased to come away with something from Ovenden, it was another match that probably got away from us,” he said.

“But there are a lot of close matches in this division and there’s not a great deal between the teams, apart from (runaway leaders Hunslet Warriors). I think this will be another close game.”

Unbeaten York Acorn ‘A’ host Manston in Yorkshire League division two, while Heworth ‘A’ go to win-less Harehills in division three.