Macclesfield coach Geoff Wappett remarked to his players after their SSE National League One defeat at The Avenue last week: “It’s not over by any stretch of the imagination . . . it’s a question of not throwing in the towel right up to the very last moment of the season.”

Wharfedale coach Tom McGee will have been saying exactly the same to his players after their stirring performance before a record crowd as they put their hopes of avoiding relegation back in their hands.

He said: “The attitude of the side was exactly right. We controlled the game, playing it in parts of the pitch where we chose to.”

He is calling for a repeat performance, and hopes that fans will make the trip to Corbridge in large numbers to urge the boys on.

“Although Tynedale are a fine side and currently enjoying an excellent run of form, if we can reproduce the same attitude as last week this is a match we can win.”

At one stage this season, Tynedale looked like genuine relegation candidates, but four successive home victories have lifted them to relative security.

Their recent victims include Rosslyn Park and Richmond, and in their last home match they scored ten tries in beating Blackheath 62-12. Last week they came very close to winning at Esher.

Tynedale’s 34-15 win at The Avenue in December was at the time a real shock, but the Greens’ consolation is that they will not play so badly again.

Wharfedale travel without Alastair Allen, who picked up a knock last week, so Richard Brown moves into the back row, Adam Howard taking over at lock.

Hookers Ian Larkin and Steve Graham rotate, and Neil Dickinson, taking a break from his flock-watching duties, comes on to the bench. Christian Georgiou is again named at full back.

Wharfedale (at Tynedale): Christian Georgiou; Lloyd Davies, Joe Donkin, Luke Gray, Adam Whaites; Tom Barrett, Philip Woodhead; Chris Steele (c), Ian Larkin, Mark Tampin, Adam Howard, Richard Rhodes, Aaron Myers, Chris Howick, Richard Brown. Replacements: Neil Dickinson, Steve Graham, Jim Mason, Simon Horsfall, James Gough.