AS any follower of rugby league will know, the odds are stacked against the Knights tomorrow given the gap between Super League and the National League.

History doesn't bode well for Mick Cook's men, either. York have only beaten Huddersfield once in five Challenge Cup meetings - in the famous 1930-31 season which brought York their one and only Cup final appearance, in which they lost to Halifax.

Huddersfield won the other four, the latest, of course, being just two years ago when the sides met at the Galpharm (then the McApline) Stadium. Hudders-field's last Cup final, back in 1962, was also via a first round defeat of York.

York's last victory over Huddersfield was in 1994 when they enjoyed a 42-12 Boxing Day home win in the old Second Division. They lost the return match 34-7 and since then the two sides have met only once, in that 2004 quarter-final.

Previous Challenge Cup meetings between the sides:

1904-05 (round one) Huddersfield 5, York 0;

1930-31 (R2) York 13, Huddersfield 2;

1935-36 (R2) Huddersfield 8, York 2;

1961-62 (R1) York 7, Huddersfield 8;

2004 (R6) Huddersfield 50, York 12.

THERE have been 113 Challenge Cup meetings between Super League and lower division clubs since the new style top tier was formed in 1996.

Super League clubs have won 106 of them, and of the seven lower division wins, only two were achieved away.

Widnes toppled top-tier rivals this year with a 14-4 fourth-round home defeat of newly-promoted Castleford. The Vikings are the only lower division team to have twice knocked out Super League opposition, having won 17-10 at Workington in the fourth round of 1996.

The complete list of lower division wins over Super League clubs is:

1996 Dewsbury 12, London Broncos 10 round four); Workington Town 10, Widnes 17 (R4); Salford 26, Wigan 16 (R5); 1997 Halifax 8 v Keighley 21 (R5); 2001 Leigh 16, Salford 12 (R4);

2003 Hunslet 18, Huddersfield 14 (R4); 2006 Widnes 14, Castleford 4 (R4).

LEEDS Rhinos registered the biggest Super League win over lower division opposition when they won 106-10 at Swinton Lions in the 2001 fourth round.

GIVEN the odds on a York victory tomorrow, the Knights might be inclined to focus more on next week's game at Batley Bulldogs, in which they will be desperate to get off the mark in National League One.

To do that, they will have to keep a close rein on Bulldogs full-back Craig Lingard, who set a new club record of 125 tries with one in the 24-22 win at Doncaster Lakers last week. Lingard's 125 tries have come in 179 appearances. Glen Tomlinson set the old record of 124 in 208 matches from 1991-1996 and 2000-2002.

WE had a decent entry to our competition, run in conjunction with Challenge Cup sponsors Powergen, to win tickets to tomorrow's fifth round tie between Huddersfield and the Knights.

Almost every entry correctly said that Twickenham will be where this year's final is played, and the lucky winner pulled out of the hat was Suzanne Robinson, of York. She wins two tickets to the game at the Galpharm Stadium.

THE Knights Supporters' Club are running a bus to tomorrow's game.

It leaves Huntington Stadium at noon and will pick up at the usual places through town. Prices are £8 adults, £6 concessions and £2 under-12s. For late bookings, call 07958 569266. The return bus will leave immediately after the game and stop off at the White Bear pub, at Tingley off the M62.

Updated: 13:19 Saturday, May 20, 2006