York will not be in the running for T'Owd Tin Pot this year after pulling out of the first round of the UAP Yorkshire Cup.

The Clifton Park club were due to face Doncaster on Wednesday night, but have been forced to call off the game because they cannot raise sufficient registered players with front row experience.

They need four, and with Neil Lineham and Dave Dorking are both injured and Andy Smith unavailable due to work commitments, they cannot raise players of the required experience.

"We were caught in something of a cleft stick," said York chairman David Pearson.

"We did try to get Doncaster to agree to a change of date for the game, but they would hear nothing of it.

"It meant that we would have forced in players from the third team and we had to err on the side of safety."

York were not keen to utilise players from junior sides as they would only risk injury against a Doncaster side who play in the Jewson's National League's second division north.

"With the injuries and the players not available we would have had to we were requiring four players at least to cover the front row and in effect we would have been turning to the third team and that is not safe," said Pearson.

"Against a side as powerful as Doncaster we essentially could not field a team to face them and, though it is a move we regret, we have pulled out of the competition with the acceptance of the Yorkshire RFU."

The decision also means that York will be able to concentrate on their vital match at Percy Park on Saturday without the worry of picking up any further injuries.

Victory in Northumberland will mean that York will preserve their North East Division One status.

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