YORK City Knights boss James Ford is taking no chances tonight - as he instead fields his strongest side available as a “mark of respect” to the opposition and the Challenge Cup.

The Knights go to amateurs Featherstone Lions as overwhelming favourites to progress through to the fifth round of the famous Ladbrokes-sponsored knockout competition, but Ford has not been tempted to throw fringe players into the mix and give first-teamers an early-season breather.

Primarily keen to avoid complacency, he also wants to give his first-choice line-up another 80 minutes together as they build up to the start of the Kingstone Press League One campaign at Easter.

“It’s firstly a mark of respect for Featherstone Lions,” said Ford of his selection.

“They’re a well-coached team and they will be full of enthusiasm and appetite. They also have players with plenty of ability and it will be a stern test.

“It’s also a mark of respect for the Challenge Cup itself.

“It’s a competition steeped in history, a very famous competition. We owe it to the competition and the sponsors to go with a full-strength side.”

Referring to the community stadium saga which has seen his club start the season without a home or training base, he added: “We’re not hitting our straps at the minute. We’re not far off but there are areas in which we need to build fluency and confidence. Where we are at the minute probably has been influenced by our preparations. There’s nothing I can do about that but what I can do is give them time on the field and time to find fluency.”

York suffered their first defeat of term last week, against Newcastle Thunder in the iPro Sport Cup quarter-final, and, asked if he considered changes after that, Ford said: “Obviously we want to find fluency and form but at the same time we’re a young team and these players need to have faith shown in them. I have great faith in them - I believe in them as people and players.”

Referring to controversial refereeing last week as Newcastle came from behind at Clifton Park, Ford added: “After reviewing the game, it would be pretty hard to come down too heavily on a team who had the ball so little in that second period. When we had it, we looked pretty good. We just didn’t have it enough, for reasons not known to a lot of people in that ground.

“I’ve had a look at the tape and, while I’m not a coach to blame officials, on this occasion and having the evidence in front of me, there were a few calls that went against us at key periods.

“We still need to learn how to deal with that. It will happen again when things go against us.

We’ve seen worse performances by officials and seen momentum taken from us. We need to be strong enough to turn momentum back our way.”

As for momentum tonight, he added: “I’m not going to say I expect us to be on top, but I expect us to be clinical when we do have possession and I want us to limit the metres Featherstone make with the ball. I’m sure the Lions will have their own plan.”

Jack Iley, another ex-Lions player like Ford and captain-for-the-day Ryan Mallinder, is added to a 20-man squad, along with Jay Leary and Adam Dent.

On-loan Luke Menzies is out after suffering a dead leg last week, and it is unlikely he would have been allowed by parent club Salford to get cup-tied anyway. Ben Dent remains a couple of weeks away after suffering a cracked cheekbone in pre-season.

The match is at Fev Rovers’ Big Fellas Stadium (8pm).

Knights (probable): Haynes, Morrison, Minikin, Cunningham, Chisholm, Presley, P Smith, Applegarth, Brining, Aldous, E Smith, Aspinall, Mallinder. Subs: from Carter, Roche, Pickles, Tonks, Leary, Iley, A Dent.