NATIONAL League One new boys York City Knights go head-to-head with an old enemy at The Shay today (Monday, 3pm).

The last time the Knights and Halifax met up, it was at Widnes Halton Stadium on grand finals day on October 9, 2004, when the Knights agonisingly crumbled late on and threw away their shot at promotion, losing 34-30.

Only three members of that team were featuring in today's clash - Craig Farrell, John Smith and Jim Elston, David Bates of course playing for Halifax last time out - and Elston for one was aiming to move on.

He said: "It was a fairly big day for me - I played at loose forward and scored a try. It was just disappointing to go out like we did.

"But it's all sort of forgotten now - we are both in National League One now so it's a matter of clearing the slate.

"The first two points against anyone are important - it doesn't matter if it's Halifax we beat or if it's someone else.

"We have to look at ourselves as individuals after Friday, see what we did out there and try to put it right."

Head coach Mick Cook is also expecting a tough proposition. He said: s"It will be a tough game. I saw them against Leigh the other week. Leigh are probably the best team in thee competition - they are very physical and very quick and they will take some beating - but Fax stood up to them second half.

"They play a bit of football and they probably think they are underachieving so it's going to be tough - especially at the Shay."

Knights (from): Lingard, Fox, Spicer, Law, Farrell, Thorman, Hasty, Buckley, Liddell, Bovill, Smith, Ward, Paterson, Elston, Golden, Helme, O'Loughlin, Bates.

Full report and pictures in Tuesday's Evening Press

Updated: 10:22 Monday, April 17, 2006