Furness RL teams bid for County Cup semi-finals

With Island and Ulverston going head-to-head, though, only two can make it through to the last four.

Millom and Askam are both on their travels in the National Conference and Hindpool host Folly Lane.

BARROW ISLAND v ULVERSTON

(Rating Lane, 2.30pm)

DAN White and Richard Chatfield return for the Island as they seek a place in the semi-finals of the county cup, though Perry Singleton and Blain Marwood are unavailable.

Coach Joe Elliott is expecting a tough encounter, despite his side being convincing winners at Dragley Beck in the Cumbria League two weeks ago.

He said: “We take each game as it comes – nothing is taken for granted. All our games have been tough this season and this will be no exception.

“I know Ulverston are not a bad team. They had players missing when we met at their place and I’m sure they will have a stronger team out this week.

“We got on a roll in the last game and, if we hadn’t, it could have been much closer. If they get their noses in front tomorrow, then we are in for a hard tussle.”

He added: “It is the County Cup and we want to make progress, so it is a game that we will not be taking lightly.

“All we need is a dry day. Our backs like days like that so they can be show their pace, while we are also strong up front. We played well to get a result at Glasson last week (winning 36-12) and it is our aim to continue to progress throughout the season.”

Ulverston await late fitness tests on Marc Dixon and Jamie Sandham before finalising their 17-man squad, while Marc Wilkinson is ruled out.

The team is strengthened by the return of Liam Saunders, Matt Storey, Sam Shepherd, Adam Mills and Tom Spedding, who all missed last week’s 54-30 defeat at Wath Brow A.

Joe Hambley is in for his second game, having been released by Barrow Raiders.

Coach Phil Atkinson is anticipating a hard game, and said: “We will have to step up a little from our last game with Island, when they were very clinical and played really well.

“We will have to buck up in defence. We have leaked too many points in recent games. We know Island like to play it fast from the play the ball and we will have to be on our toes.

“We have bodies back this week and we will compete in what should be an interesting game, with a semi-final place at stake.

“If Dixon and Sandham fail to make it, we will draft a couple of lads in from the A-team.”

WALNEY CENTRAL v SEATON

(Central Drive, 2.30pm)

CENTS take on a Seaton side who pushed them all the way in a recent Cumbria League game at Central Drive.

Several players are missing for the hosts, with the Elliott brothers, Mike and Matt, out and Dave Warne unlikely to play due to a sternum injury sustained in the final minutes of the game at Glasson two weeks ago.

Blain Devlin is 50/50 with a back injury, but back in the fold are experienced campaigners Mike Whitehead and Liam Finch.

Coach Shaun Morrow said: “Earlier this week I was struggling with only 15 fit players.

“I will take in the A-team game with Hindpool and bring one or two into the squad.

“I missed the league game, so I don’t know much about them. We had two good games with them last year and they knocked us out of this competition.”

FEATHERSTONE LIONS v MILLOM

MILLOM aim to go one better than last week when they visit Featherstone in National Conference Division One.

The Woollybacks were beaten 14-0 by the same opponents in the Conference Trophy last week, but have top players Tom Sibley, Marcus O’Brien, Joe Shaw and Steve Dawson back.

Rickie Donaghue, Paul Carter and Adam Kelly will not travel.

Coach Sibley said: “It was a disappointing result last week, but we put that behind us and now concentrate on the league. It is another day.

“I feel we can get the right result this week with players back, so we hope to kick on and get that first win. We will keep going – there is still a long road ahead.”

THORNHILL v ASKAM

DAN Sayle and Jordan Herdman miss Askam’s trip into Yorkshire as they complete the Keswick to Barrow Walk.

Stu High, Tom Goffatt and Darren Gaskell are ruled out through injury for the National Conference Division Two match, but Rory Marshall, Ben Lewney and Gareth Richards are back in contention.

The Villagers face a tough encounter against hosts who have only one loss this season – against leaders Hunslet Parkside – and who were 30-26 winners at East Hull in the semi-finals of the National Cup last week.

Coach Mike Wilson said: “We are looking forward to the challenge. They have only lost one league game and they have the best defensive record in the league. But we have the second best, so it should be a close game.”

HINDPOOL TIGERS v FOLLY LANE

(Brisbane Park, 2.30pm)

HINDPOOL seek to build on their 32-0 win over Bank Quay Bull as they welcome Folly lane in North West Men’s Division One.

The Lane were relegated from the Premier Division last season and Tigers coach Phil Cubiss is expecting a tough match.

He said: “We still have a lot to improve on and, even though we won last week, it was a really scrappy win and we were quite poor for the first 60 minutes.

“Ball retention and decision-making has been a real problem for us at the beginning of the season, but the lads are working really hard to put this right and I think things will start to click sooner rather than later. It’s only early days in the season and it’s still all to play for.”

Craig Regan and Brad Wrightwebb miss out for Hindpool, with the latter taking part in the Keswick to Barrow Walk.

Dalton have forfeited their County Cup game at Glasson.