THE York Minster Engineering League Reps are on the up, believes league vice-president Bill Pearce ahead of tomorrow’s home FA Inter-League Cup semi-final against the Kent League.

A win at Harrogate Town’s CNG Stadium would take the league's representative squad into a game against either the North Riding League or London’s Amateur Combination League.

Victory in that final would see them take one of eight spots in the UEFA Regions’ Cup, held next summer in Slovakia.

Pearce has admitted pleasant surprise at the side’s progress, but has hailed their substantial improvement in their wins over the West Riding (2-1), Cheshire & Wirral (8-1) and Staffordshire County Senior (4-0) Leagues, which took them into the last four of the national competition.

This is only the second time they have entered the knockout tournament.

Pearce said: “To be honest, we didn’t expect to get this far.

“The 2-1 win over West Riding could’ve gone either way but since then, the team have just gotten better and better.

“I’ve never seen players retain a ball for so long in the way they did against Staffordshire. The way our lads passed the ball across the pitch, we just ran them off their feet.

“With regard to performances, I can’t see Step 7 teams being loads better than each other.

“There’ll be exceptional clubs across the country, like Old Malton St Mary’s and Wigginton Grasshoppers who have dictated our league for years.

“There are good players in the league and I’d imagine it’s similar elsewhere."

He added: “Obviously everybody’s taking it very seriously because the prize is huge.”

The squad is likely to be: Mike Clancy, Jamie Willstrop, Jake Duckworth (Wigginton), Chris Dyson, James Edmond, Sam Pepper (Huntington), Cammy Mulhearn, Matty Mulhearn, Cam Sanderson (Dunnington), Andy Simpson, Sam Lingard (Sporting Knavesmire), Chris Bilton (Osbaldwick), Scott Nicholas (Old Malton), Jonny Andrew (Dunnington), Dale Holding (Rawcliffe), Matt Pallister (Copmanthorpe).