WHARFEDALE coach Jon Feeley has given some of the club's young guns hope ahead of next Wednesday's Yorkshire Cup semi-final at Cleckheaton (7.30).

Feeley watched the Foresters destroy Morley 104-0 in their quarter-final at Scatcherd Lane last Saturday and promised: "Some of them will be involved next week."

Wharfedale are the holders and naturally want to retain their title but Cleckheaton, who were promoted last season and are currently sixth in SSE National League Three North, present a distinct step up in class from the Maroons' second string.

Feeley said: "Cleckheaton are my dad Steven's old club – I played in the third team at half-back with him when I was 14 – and I had some happy times down there.

"My dad played first team there for many years with Gordon Piper, and I know that they will field as strong a side as possible and that his lads present a formidable barrier.

"I only watch the Foresters between five and ten times a year but they tend to be the more meaningful matches, such as against the universities and Darlington Mowden Park home and away, and I saw enough last week at Morley to say that some of them will be involved at Cleckheaton, although we will be fielding more first-teamers.

"We fielded five colts, and I was particularly impressed with Ben Booth in the centre."

Feeley added: "We agreed with Morley beforehand that it should be a second-team game, and they deserve credit for never giving up when they were physically overwhelmed, but equally so we deserve credit for giving an impressive display and for being clinical.

"It underlined how strong the Foresters are as Morley are only a division below us in the second-team set up, and it shows what a great job Andy Hodgson and Ian Peel are doing with the Foresters. It is really good to see them developing."

On Saturday, Wharfedale return to league action and host Macclesfield, who are bottom of SSE National One and have already been relegated.

Feeley said: "It is a nothing to lose match for them and an everything to lose match for us so we have to be clinical."