DOUBLE-CHASING Malton and Norton bid to win the Yorkshire Shield Trophy for the first time on Sunday.

They will tackle Beverley in the final at Hull Ionians (3pm) hoping to put the seal on a brilliant season.

Malt will be playing at the highest level in their 51-year history next season after winning the Yorkshire One title to earn promotion to North East Two.

Promotion was always the priority but victory over Beverley, who won the Yorkshire Two title, would put the icing on the cake.

Despite the absence of star stand-off Chris Creber, the men from the Gannock will start as slight favourites. They did the double over Beverley last season, but the Minster town club have strengthened their side since then.

David Webster will continue in the No 10 shirt from Creber, who has returned to his native Australia for a holiday. The only change to the side which beat Keighley in the semi-final sees Ed Gwillam at prop in place of the unavailable Steve Pease.

Another promotion side, Pocklington, put their unbeaten home record on the line when they take on a star-studded President's XV in their last game of the season on Sunday (2pm).

Pocklington's league championship success was built on going through the league campaign winning all their games at home, getting stronger as the season progressed to finish in unstoppable form.

But the President's side will put that to the test, as they have assembled a powerful line-up of players, most of them with strong Pocklington links, gathered from clubs throughout Yorkshire and the North East.

Nunburnholme based former Harlequins lock, Mick Watson, leads a quartet of Wakefield players, while half a dozen local clubs are represented. From further afield, former Pocklington juniors who both won England youth honours, Dan Clappison and Sandy Mitchell, are both down from the North East, while ex-Pock lock Phil Thompson, a current Harlequin, comes up from London.

A couple of other notable performers are also in the pipeline, dependent on Yorkshire's county championship and club Yorkshire Cup commitments.

Present Pocklington players also get in on the President's act.

Mark Taylor, with 27 years of first team rugby at Percy Road under his belt, plays for the President's XV against his clubmates.

He links up with his former skipper Paul Rhodes, who is now an up-and-coming referee, but who has come out of retirement to play.

In addition, a quintet of Pocklington's latest young talent will be on the bench and will get the chance to test themselves in exalted company at some stage.

Pocklington will rely on the close-knit squad that has done so well throughout the season, and which has remained in training since the last game a fortnight ago. However, skipper Matt Atkinson is sideline with a slipped disc suffered while doing some work at home.

While Sunday marks the end of the senior season for 2003-2004, there are still a few bits of junior rugby to come. On Monday, Pocklington Under 11s and Under 12s play North East tourists, Billingham, at 1.00 pm. Billingham are coached by former Pocklington Pilgrims scrum half, Mark Armstrong.

And next Wednesday, Pocklington Under 18s are at home to Beverley, kick off 6.45 pm, in the third place play off for the East Yorkshire Under 18 Floodlit Cup.

Pocklington President's XV, from: M Taylor (Pocklington), T Lauriston (Wakefield), S Mitchell (Newcastle), G Hope (Hull Ionians), M Cawthorne (Wakefield), M Bradshaw (York), D Clappison (Blaydon), P Priestley (Goole), M Floyd (Bridlington), S Sellers (Selby), A Wilson (Auckland), G Gough (Impalas), M Watson (Wakefield), R Wilson (Hull), P Thompson (Harlequins), P Rhodes (Pocklington), J Scurr (Wakefield), A Wilson (Cleckheaton), N Bennett, B Bold, K Thelman, M Davis, P Drew.

Pocklington from: C Allen, H Mitchell, R Williman, G Wilson, T Nixon, K Bowling, R Jackson, M Webber, R Smith, JP Kelly, D Birch, M Biggin, S Rowley, S Wilcock, A Pears, D Wilson, S Littlefair. Meet 1pm, kick off 2pm.

Updated: 11:01 Friday, April 30, 2004