NORTH Ribblesdale face a do-or-die situation tomorrow when they entertain Yorkshire Division One strugglers West Park Bramhope in their penultimate game of the season knowing that they need to win to escape relegation, (writes Tony Simpson).

If the Grove Park men lose tomorrow, they will need to beat champions Hull in their final game to stay in Yorkshire One and while the unpredictable nature of the Settle side's form does not rule out such a victory, beating West Park should be an easier route to safety.

Last weekend's defeat at the hands of a re-structured York side, however, served as a reminder that the Ribblesdale men cannot afford any vestage of complacency tomorrow. York may have been strengthened as a result of the demise of the city's professional club, but on home soil the Dalesmen were favourites to collect the points they needed to pull clear of the relegation zone

Defeat leaves them still needing a couple of points to move ahead of Beverley, who have completed their programme.

In theory, relegation doomed West Park should not have the desire and passion to over-turn the form-book, but situations like this have a peculiar way of doing just that, one side responding to the freedom from pressure and the other failing to deliver because that pressure still exists.

The tag of 'favourites' is clearly one which does not sit well with North Ribblesdale and skipper John Thwaite carried the biggest task tomorrow in ensuring that his men approach the game with the right mental attitude.

On the player front, Ribb hope to have locks Phil Pawson and Dean Stacey available in a line-up which is close to full-strength.

Skipton are hoping to obtain a game from the fixture pool to fill in the free date in their calendar, with scrum-half Duncan Brown and wingman Paul Lacy keener than most to get into action.

Lacy has his sights on a club try-scoring record after his four-try performance last weekend. That is currently held by stalwart Charlie Branston, who scored 34 in a season more distant than he might care to recall, but Lacy is now on 33 and all set to at least draw level if the club can provide him with some opposition.

Brown's desire to get into action stems from the fact that he will be returning to New Zealand next week and tomorrow will be his last match for the club.

North Ribblesdale: G Evans; S Evans, S Devoy, J Richards, S Cowperthwaite; S Kennedy, N Gemmell; J Thwaite, M Throup, A Bradley, P Pawson, D Stacey, R Kirkbride, S Boatwright, R Howarth. Replacements: E Roe, W Garth, S Spensley.

WHARFEDALE have been drawn at York in the second round of the Yorkshire Cup after their rout of Castleford in mid-week.

The Greens will visit Clifton Park on Tuesday next (April 23, kick-off 6.30) in what seems certain to be a sterner test than that provided by Yorkshire One strugglers Castleford, who were put to the sword in ruthless fashion by a side which, though basically young in terms of average age, still contained a generous contingent of first-team regulars.

There are no restrictions on who can play in the competition, of course, so the Greens are entitled to field as strong a side as they feel appropriate. An 83-0 win confirms that they were taking no chances.