Manager Paul Jewell has warned his Bradford City players that they must dominate the physical battle at the Shay tonight before they can expect to win the match.

After their great start to their first season back in the Football League, Halifax would like nothing better than to beat their West Yorkshire neighbours in tonight's Worthington Cup second, first leg.

Jewell is well aware of the pitfalls the match presents as the Shaymen aim to produce a giant killing act against City who are two divisions above them.

And, after winning only one of their first seven league matches they will look upon City as fair game.

Jewell, who watched the Shaymen slip to their first home defeat against Cardiff last Friday, said: "Halifax will play a high tempo physical match and we have got to match them physically and win as many battles as we can all over the pitch.

"It is going to be a difficult match for us I am sure of that and, because it is a local derby there is plenty at stake.

"All I ask is that we go out and perform like we did against Sheffield United on Saturday, but we need to concentrate and show more discipline at the back. We are conceding far too many goals and that is an area of real concern at the moment."

City hope to have strikers Edinho and Isaiah Rankin fit again after recovering from hamstring injuries and they have been added to the squad along with midfield player Craig Ramage and goalkeeper Mark Prudhoe, but Jewell is not contemplating many changes.

Halifax defender Paul Stoneman is looking forward to the test City will present. He said: "It is a big challenge. You don't come across players like Lee Mills and Isaiah Rankin in the Third Division.

"If we can get a win at the Shay we have got defenders good enough to prevent City from scoring at Valley Parade.

"It would be nice to get past Bradford and draw another big club in the next round."

Bradford City (from): Walsh, Wright, Jacobs, McCall, Moore, Dreyer, Pepper, Blake, Mills, Whalley, Beagrie, Watson, O'Brien, Grant, Edinho, Rankin, Ramage, Prudhoe.

Halifax Town (from): Martin, Thackeray, Bradshaw, Lucas, Setori, Stoneman, Butler, Hulme, Hanson, Horsfield, Brown, O'Regan, Williams, Murphy.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.