YORK City Knights boss James Ford says Doncaster will be "desperate" for victory at Bootham Crescent today (3pm) - suggesting the crucial clash is more important for the South Yorkshire club than the home team.

However, he reckons his side relish going up against teams at their best and insists they are determined to secure a League One play-off place as soon as possible rather than risk leaving it to the last two matches of the Super 8s.

The Dons would draw level on points with the fourth-placed Knights with victory, but defeat could leave them outside the top five with two games to go, including one against champions elect Toronto.

"All Super 8s games are important," said Ford when asked how vital this one was for the Knights' hopes.

"It's worth only two points like all the others but a loss for Doncaster potentially means they miss out on the play-offs so we know we will be facing a fired-up, focused and desperate team.

"That excites us. We enjoy going up against teams playing at their best. We have a lot of respect for them - they've got an excellent coach and some outstanding players.

"A win for us puts us in a very commanding position when it comes to the play-offs.

"A loss would obviously not be a positive but it would not be the end of the world. However, we will be going all out with maximum intentions of getting the points. We want fourth spot boxed off as soon as possible."

Asked if finishing fourth or fifth mattered, given it is almost certain that a trip to Cumbria - be it Barrow or Whitehaven - would follow in the play-off semi-finals, Ford said: "We want to finish as high as we can.

"Going away to Whitehaven or Barrow will be difficult but it's something we'd look forward to - we want another crack at them.

"However, to be rewarded with that opportunity, we have to beat Doncaster.

"Winning two out of three would make it (a play-off place) certain and one from three would probably be enough.

"But we want to win three - that's the mentality we've installed at this club."