YORK City Knights boss James Ford had high praise for Askam ARLC counterpart Dave Clark as the pair prepare to lock horns again - this time on a different level.

Clark, the former Barrow player and coach, went head to head with Ford twice last year as boss of League One rivals Workington Town, the Knights coming out on top both times against a side rebuilding after relegation in 2016.

He left by mutual agreement at the end of the season after Town finished in mid-table, but has since taken the reins at the National Conference League division two club, starting on fire with shock victories over division one York Acorn and premier outfit West Hull in the first two rounds of the Challenge Cup to set up a tie against pro opponents - and tomorrow's re-acquaintance with Ford.

The Knights chief said: “I thought Workington were great with the ball last year.

"Some of the shifts they engineered were excellent. He had half-backs playing into the line, creating numbers and changing tempo. They were really good with the ball.

“I enjoyed previewing Workington. They were a good team to watch and it surprised me that he moved on.”

Acorn boss Leigh Paul-Rientoul has already warned that the Knights face a banana skin tie, having been on the receiving end of that 32-16 first-round defeat on their own patch.

Ford, aware his team are overwhelming favourites to progress, has likewise said his troops cannot be complacent, even if he has rested a few big names.

“I had a brief chat with Leigh," he said, acknowledging he otherwise knew little about the home outfit.

"What we do know is that Askam are a good team. They’ve beaten Acorn – and we have a lot of respect for them – and they’ve beaten West Hull, who play a couple of divisions higher.

“Askam might be NCL2 but they’re performing as a premier division team.

“We will go there full of respect for our opposition, expecting a real tough game. They’re obviously no mugs and they will be looking forward to it.”

The Knights also contend with new territory, after the Rugby Football League deemed Askam's modest Fallowfield Park ground was okay to stage the tie. The hosts also picked their regular Saturday 2.30pm slot rather than Sunday when the Knights normally play.

But Ford is hardly new to community club grounds, his 2015 Knights team having had to play home games at York RUFC and Heworth ARLC because of off-field issues relating to stadia - and he said playing at this rough-and-ready venue in deepest south west Cumbria was not an issue.

"We can’t say too much about it (the ground) after recent years," he quipped.

“There are some grounds in League One that also leave a little bit to be desired.

“I’m sure there will be some passionate supporters there who are knowledgeable about rugby league, who will want Askam to turn us over. That’s the cup. We’ve been in there before and we will be again.”