CHRIS Spurr is confident his horrendous injury nightmare can end in the best possible way - with victory over his former club.

The 25-year-old centre's last competitive first-team game for York City Knights was the 2004 Grand Final, though the pain of that defeat turned to agony when he broke his left leg and dislocated the ankle in an England Students game later that year.

After more than a year out, he enjoyed just 160 minutes of friendly action before breaking down again with an imbalance in his foot, which was a consequence of the original injury.

But, having come through an Academy match untroubled, he will finally be back in a first-team shirt tomorrow, some 19 months after his last appearance. And if his return after such a long recovery haul is not emotional enough, the fact it will be away to former club Batley Bulldogs - in what has been dubbed a must-win game for both sides - provides him with extra incentive to get back with a bang.

"It's been a long time and it's been very frustrating," said Spurr, who had endured nine months on the sidelines a few years earlier after suffering cruciate ligament damage in that same left leg.

"In the last two or three weeks it's all improved no end and hopefully that's the end of it. Now I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. Batley are in the lower reaches as well as us and we need to beat them."

The Knights, without a win after five National League One games, fell into the relegation zone after Batley claimed their first points with a win over Doncaster. Spurr, though, is confident his side can rise up the ladder.

"If we get one win there will be more to follow," he reasoned. "Against Leigh and Huddersfield, we put in pretty good performances and if we can build on that in the games we've got coming up we can definitely get points."

Spurr has no qualms about returning - after just 80 Academy minutes - in such an important fixture. And, while he admits the injury situation at Huntington Stadium has been a factor in his selection, he is confident he can do the business - and that his leg will stand up to the test.

"I always take every game the same, although with Batley being my old club it would be extra nice to put in a good performance," he said. "It's always nice to go back to your old club and it's a big incentive for me to do well.

"It's an important game, but every game is vital, so that's not going to have an effect - we've got to try to win every game.

"I think the fact I've trained pretty well has helped in Mick Cook's decision (to pick me).

"Maybe I would not be in there if the likes of Dan Potter and Rob Spicer were not injured but with that situation and me being a specialist centre, I've got the chance. My confidence is fine, and I feel 100 per cent that I will be all right and do a good job."

Sunday's teams:

LHF National League One

Batley Bulldogs v York City Knights

(at Mount Pleasant)

Batley (possible): Lingard, Lindsay, Marsh, Jones, Wainwright, Toohey, Duffy, Roukem, Boothroyd, Grayshon, Richardson, Spears, Gallagher. Subs from: Lythe, McLaughlin, Henderson, Marns, Stokes.

Knights: Blaymire, Buchanan, Spurr, Law, Fox, Rhodes, Thorman, Sullivan, Liddell, Bates, Smith, Buckley, Paterson. Subs: Wray, Farrell, Helme, Ward.

Ref: Ben Thaler (Wakefield) Kick off: 3pm

Updated: 08:40 Saturday, May 27, 2006