YORK City Knights ace Ash Robson is ready to take out his frustration on Whitehaven and help his side reach the Kingstone Press League One promotion final.

Local lad Robson, the marquee off-season signing from Castleford Tigers, has been forced to sit out the last six games of the Super 8s after being slapped by with a ban for allegedly spitting at an opponent - even though there was no evidence of his guilt.

But that suspension is now up and the former York Acorn junior - who, despite the lengthy enforced absence, was still shortlisted for the League One Young Player of the Year award - is set to go straight back in at full-back for Sunday's play-off semi-final at the Recre.

Perhaps ironically, the allegations had been made by Whitehaven centre Chris Taylor during the regular season meeting between the sides in June - with the pair now set to reacquaint.

"There was a lot of frustration on missing so many games and appealing something where there was no evidence," said Robson of his ban, which had been upheld on appeal.

"But it is what it is, and I'm just excited now to be getting back out there with the boys.

"I'm fortunate that we've made it to the semi-final and I just want to perform well and for the team to perform well, more importantly."

Asked if there was added spice for him personally given his suspension, he smirked: "I don't know, we'll see when we get up there."

Haven finished the season third, some 10 points ahead of York in fourth, and won both games between the sides this season - 18-16 in the sun at Bootham Crescent in June, and 26-16 in the rain at the Recre just 12 days ago.

But, with a play-off place assured, Knights boss James Ford fielded a weakened team for the last meeting, and Robson said: "I think we can beat them, hands down, definitely.

"If everyone performs the way I know they can, how they know they can and how Fordy knows they can, I think we can beat them."

The team will be travelling to Cumbria on Saturday and staying the night in Workington just up the road from Whitehaven.

As for the disadvantage of playing away, Robson said: "It's always a pain in the backside going up to Cumbria.

"But if we prepare well - and we've had a massive focus on this game last week and this week - we will crack on and do what we've got to do.

"Going up on Saturday is all part of this preparation. Like I say, we've been focussing on this these past two weeks."