INJURY-HIT York City Knights are seeking a second successive Challenge Cup shock on Sunday - and reckon the loud Bootham Crescent backing can help them do it.

Head coach James Ford has been forced into at least four changes from the side that battled to victory over Doncaster in League One on Good Friday - with Press man-of-the-match Ash Robson and skipper Ed Smith this week joining Player of the Month Adam Robinson in an increasingly busy treatment room.

But Ford, whose team toppled Championship side Rochdale in round four, wants the Knights faithful to make up for that as the proverbial 14th man again, on the back of last week's biggest home league crowd in five years.

Bogey side Barrow are the visitors for this fifth-round clash (3pm), and they come in buoyant mood, unbeaten so far this season - and unbeaten in 11 matches home and away against York, a run which continued when the two sides met in the league in early March.

The Raiders are also expecting to bring at least three coachloads of fans over from Cumbria.

Said Ford: "Everyone keeps telling me we're massive underdogs against one of the favourites for the league. We don't care about that. We care about being out there and having a tenacious attitude.

"York supporters really enjoy seeing their team play with that attitude. Those fans played a big part in our performance against Doncaster and they can do so again against Barrow."

As for the now 10-year wait for a win over the Cumbrians - the last being a 14-4 National League Two victory back in July 2007 - Ford had little to say, seemingly bored of talk of jinxes or hoodoos.

"We just don't speak about it," he said. "We're not considering what's happened in the past so there's no point discussing it. We're treating it like any other game."

Asked if it was advantageous to be underdogs, Ford said: "It's a good thing for Barrow isn't it, that we're underdogs?

"They're in form and with a pretty healthy squad whereas we've got a few out and are a team in a development stage.

"But as heavy favourites that puts pressure on them. We will turn up with a real tenacious attitude, work really hard and carry out our plan to the best of our ability.

"If our attitude is right up there, like against Doncaster, we will give ourselves a really good chance."

Robinson (ribs) departed early against the Dons last week, while Robson's quad injury has since flared up again and Smith suffered delayed concussion.

On loan Nick Rawsthorne, who scored the decisive try that day, is also unavailable this weekend, Hull not wanting him cup-tied, while back-rowers Joe Batchelor and Liam Thompson remain injured, although both are expected back in training next week.

In better news, the Knights have Liam Harris and prop Kieran Moran back on dual-reg from Hull KR after they were called up to Rovers first-team duty over Easter, with the former being earmarked for a run at stand-off in place of veteran Jonny Presley, and Ben Dent pencilled in at full-back.

On Harris, Ford said: "He played really well at full-back for us but his best position is stand-off and I feel it's a good opportunity to have a look at him in the halves. If he's anywhere near as talented as at full-back, we're in for a delight."

Nev Morrison also returns at centre, with Joe Porter to start in Smith's second-row spot and big Bobby Tyson-Wilson coming back on the bench. Ford must also decide two of Andy Ellis, Pat Smith and Harry Carter for hooking roles after the latter passed fit again.

Knights (probable): Dent, Foggin-Johnston, Morrison, Haynes, Saxton, Harris, H Tyson-Wilson, Moran, Ellis, Siddons, Hey, Porter, Spears. Subs: from Carter, P Smith, Dixon, B Tyson-Wilson, Clavering, Robson.

Barrow (probable): Fieldhouse, Toal, Hulme, Litherland, Cresswell, Marwood, Charnock, Joe Bullock, Mossop, Wilkes, Aspinwall, Stack, Duerden. Subs: Abram, Toal, Walker, Brennan. Stand-by: Dawson.