'Play it again, boys' says Knights chief

11:54am Saturday 17th May 2008

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PLAYER-COACH Paul March is hoping the benefits of keeping an unchanged team will pay dividends tomorrow as York City Knights seek to shock the team at the top.

March is set to enjoy the privilege of fielding the same 17 in two consecutive matches for the first time since taking charge when Keighley visit Huntington Stadium tomorrow (3pm).

It will also be the third consecutive match in which he has picked the same back line, and he hopes the understandings in the small partnerships across the field will bring rewards.

"It will be the same 17 for the first time this year," said March, pictured, who has generally had to make changes up to now due to injuries as well as indifferent form. "It's good. The back line has been the same for the last three games (including tomorrow) and I think that's one of the reasons why we're scoring some good tries."

Nine of them came last week in the 50-28 win at Swinton, which followed a narrow defeat to unbeaten big-spenders Doncaster - the only team to have beaten Keighley in National League Two this season.

"It helps with consistency," said March, pointing out that burgeoning partnerships, not least those out wide, were bearing fruit.

"Steve Lewis knows what Rob Spicer does and John Oakes has the same with Ryan Esders.

"We've been scoring some good tries on the back of it and people are definitely working together.

"If we can keep the same team, we can get that consistency and hopefully go on a pretty good run."

Keighley went to the top of the standings, with six wins from seven games, following a 36-35 win over injury-hit Rochdale last week.

The Cougars' former Knight, Dan Potter, said they were a bit complacent before that game, claiming they should have won by more, but March believes his Knights team, now with two big wins in their last three games, have cause to go into the game with confidence.

"They haven't played any of the other top three teams, apart from Doncaster, but they are an in-form team, sitting pretty on their own at the top," he said.

"But we've fallen into a bit of form ourselves and this is a game I'm expecting to win."

One of the other former Knights in the Cougars' ranks, Neil Lowe, is a major doubt for the game, the key forward having suffered a foot problem, and so Greg Nicholson is expected to come in.

Cougars coach Barry Eaton is likely to have his charges in determined mood, cutting out whatever complacency crept in last week.

He said: "We know it's going to be tough. In their last three games, York have walloped Blackpool and Swinton and given Doncaster a real run for their money. They seem to be getting to where they want to be. It's going to be a massive game and we're treating it as such."