TOP try-scorer Lee Mapals will thrill the York City Knights crowd earlier than expected after being drafted into the line-up for their first friendly of the year.

The 22-year-old, a candidate for the 2007 National League Two Young Player of the Year after a stunning debut season, was originally left out of the squad to face a York Select XIII tomorrow, but has been called up at late notice after half-back Danny Grimshaw withdrew with a groin strain.

Fleet-footed Mapals, who bagged 19 tries last year, will start at full-back, with Danny Ratcliffe, the new recruit from Dewsbury, moving to stand-off.

As reported by The Press this week, Knights player-boss Paul March is leaving out many of his likely first choices, especially in the pack, saving them for the forthcoming friendlies against Wakefield and Leeds.

He is running with an inexperienced line-up, with no fewer than nine new faces in the starting 13, and four more on the six-strong bench. It is part of a plan to give every fit player in the squad at least two run-outs before the season begins on February 3. March, happy with the players' efforts in pre-season, has also revealed he went easy on the squad over Christmas. Several other clubs trained or played fixtures during that period.

"We gave the lads time off over Christmas so they could spend it with their families," he explained. "We're going to be at it every Sunday from this weekend, so it was good for them to have that break. Everybody is fresh now and ready to go.

"Training has gone very well, though we've still got a lot to do. These three friendlies will give the lads a chance to get their match fitness up.

"I was quite impressed before Christmas - that's why I gave them a lot of time off - and since we've come back the lads have knuckled down, and now they're itching to play.

"There's a big difference, though, between training and playing matches, and the spectators might see a bit of tiredness.

"The amateur players in the Select side are well into their season, so it's how we cope with that and the pressure they'll put us under. I'm sure we'll come through it all right."

March said he was keen to see how his young fringe players coped on the field.

Only prop Andy Bailey and hooker Paul Hughes, the captain for the day, have more than a year's experience in the National League, while 11 of the 19 on view will be stepping up from academy or amateur level for the first time.

"I'm not looking at the result. I'm looking at the performance and at the fringe players to see how they perform and if they stake a claim for a first-team shirt. At the moment they've got the shirt, and it's up to them to keep it," he said.

"Ross Divorty has impressed a lot. We were thinking of giving him a rest for this game and maybe saving him for Leeds and Wakefield, but he's a young lad and can play many games. Hopefully, he will show what he can do and what we've seen of him so far in training.

"It's the same with a lot of the younger lads, like Danny Ratcliffe, Rob Kelly, John Oakes and Matt Danville. I'm keen to see the likes of Matt make the grade at this level after playing at the top of the amateur game."

Young York official Gareth Evans will referee the game.