SEAN BASS is determined his York RUFC side must finish their home campaign on a high tomorrow.

The Clifton Parkers step out on familiar soil for the final time this season when they entertain Middlesbrough in Yorkshire One.

York stunned Malton & Norton on their own patch last time out, beating the promotion contenders 24-0, and the victory has put everyone at the club in high spirits as they bid to further secure their grip on third place in the table.

Bass’ men slipped to a disappointing defeat against Hullensians the last time they were at Shipton Road, and they were beaten by their Teesside-based opponents 8-5 last December.

It was a loss that irked the head coach and he is determined to gain revenge.

“It was a good win and we deserved it,” Bass said of the Malton success. “When we are hot, we are hot but we are not taking anything lightly against Middlesbrough.

They have got a decent eight and ten and we need to be mindful of them.

“They played a very controlled game when we were at Middlesbrough but if we beat them we push further in front and I would rather finish third than fourth. We have got a bit more belief and we could have finished second in the table. We know that and it is a bit frustrating.

“We did everything wrong against Hullensians but we want to finish our last league game at home with a win.”

York will be missing Eddie Bradshaw, who has suffered a serious knee injury, but will largely stick with the same squad that shone last weekend.

Malton & Norton are praying a number of big-guns will be back before the end of the regular season - so they can start firing again in time for their promotion play-off.

Malton guaranteed themselves the runners-up berth in Yorkshire One thanks to a 17-match winning run stretching from October to mid-February.

However, they have since won only once in five outings, with the downturn in form coinciding with the departure back to their homeland of South African aces Zweli Sodladla and Vus Dyantjies, along with a growing injury list, especially in the back line, which has seen the likes of Josh Heggie, Ian Cooke, fly-half Nick Daley, South African Sizwe Zondo and Tom Newitt all spend time on the treatment table.

Captain Sam Triffitt, a key man in the pack, has also been absent due to a knee injury.

He will also miss this Saturday’s penultimate game of the regular season at Bridlington and remains touch and go for the final clash against unbeaten champions Doncaster Phoenix.

The play-off for promotion back up to North One East follows on April 25 against the runners-up in Durham/Northumberland One, who are likely to be Morpeth after they lost ground on Guisborough in the title race. The tie is also likely to be in the North East as the side with the better playing record get home advantage - and Morpeth so far have 19 wins, two draws and three defeats from 24 matches, while Malton have 19 wins and five defeats.

“In the last few weeks we have had a lot of injuries,” said M&N spokesman Bill Laidler. “We’re safe in second with no chance of being first, so, while a couple of them might have been able to play at a push, such as Josh Heggie, it was decided not to risk them so they can overcome little niggles.

“We’ll hopefully have one or two back this week but if they’re not right, they won’t play, with the game on the 25th in mind.”

Asked if the departure of Sodladla and Dyantjies - standout players when Malton’s back line tore teams to pieces during their long winning run - had been badly felt, Laidler said: “They’re a miss but they would not have been such a miss if we hadn’t lost the other players.

“We’ve lost virtually a full back line in recent weeks Hopefully we’ll be getting them back.”

Elsewhere, Selby host Pontefract in Yorkshire One and York RI, whose remaining dreams of promotion were extinguished by Halifax Vandals last week, are at Mosborough in Yorkshire Four.

Pocklington host Rochdale in their final North East One game of the season.

When the sides met at Rochdale in December Pocklington were well beaten, but three months on the two look more closely matched.

Meanwhile, there is another big game on Sunday when Pocklington under-18 Colts continue their sparkling cup run by entertaining Wharfedale in the semi-final of the National Colts Plate. The tie kicks off at 1pm.