GOING BANANAS: Supermarket Asda are doing their bit to aid the Wasps' match preparations by keeping them supplied with bananas for the players' nutritional programme. The Academy team are also benefiting. Pictured (left to right) are York trio Andrew Lambert, Lee McTigue and Spencer Hargrave

York Wasps are hoping to land a lucky seven when they enter their busiest month of the year on Monday.

The Wasps face a mammoth seven matches during May which coach Garry Atkins is confident will provide them with their most profitable spell this season.

He has set his players a target of at least four wins but believes they could do even better.

"May is a big month for us and I'm looking to be winning at least four of the games, although I think we could win five of the seven, if not all of them," said an up-beat Atkins, who is looking forward to getting back in the hot-seat following his wedding trip to Las Vegas.

Monday's trip to Oldham is likely to provide York with their toughest test of the month. Their other May fixtures comprise of visits to Whitehaven, Sheffield and Batley, and home encounters with Swinton, Hunslet and Rochdale.

Of those sides only Oldham are currently in the top eight which offers York an ideal opportunity to gain ground on the teams just above them.

However, Atkins accepts they must improve from their two heavy Easter defeats which were inflicted during his absence.

Reacting to the video of the 26-2 defeat by Keighley, he said: "We seem to have gone back to how we used to play. The forwards were running in ones, there was a lot of walking around and they looked lethargic at times.

"But on the positive side, when they did defend well and when they did go in pairs they looked good. Speaking to the players they felt they couldn't score.

"Even though they went well up to half-time and worked hard they didn't penetrate the line. That's something we will be looking at."

His only injury doubts surround Andy Hill (calf) and Spencer Hargrave (leg) so it is likely to be a similar side to the one which played Keighley.

Last season Oldham were in a similar predicament to that of York this season but a rebuilding programme has turned them into genuine play-off contenders.

Their coach Mike Ford, who moved from Bramley at the start of the campaign, will be looking to make it six wins a row. All the players and coaching staff had a heart to heart after they were beaten 61-26 by Featherstone back in March, agreed to step up training to four times a week, and have not lost since.

Ford set his players a target of five wins from five in April which they successfully achieved - but only just. They were trailing 18-0 after 20 minutes at home to Swinton on Monday but incredibly hit back to win 34-28.

A number of players followed Ford from Bramley, including prop and captain Andy Proctor, who may return after six weeks out with a neck injury, the Gibbons twins Anthony and David and full-back Mark Sibson.

Ford has also brought in second-rower Phil Farrell, younger brother of Wigan and Great Britain star Andy, former St Helens winger Joey Hayes, Pat Rich and Mark Campbell from Keighley and Australian loose forward Shane McMenemy from Rochdale.

Ford himself will not be playing after breaking his jaw against Rochdale on Good Friday. His place at scrum-half will be taken by 20-year-old Neil Roden.

York: (probable) McCracken, McKenzie, Preston, Gray, Woodcock, Cain, Dobson, Forsyth, Pallister, S Hill, Judge, A Hill, Darley. Subs (from): Tichener, Hagan, Ryce, Robinson, Hargrave.

Oldham: (probable) Sibson, Hayes, A Gibbons, Rich, Barrow, D Gibbons, Roden, Casey, Hough, Clegg, Farrell, McMenemy, Campbell. Subs (from): Procter, Guest, Holland, Fitzpatrick, Mannion, Doran.

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Mirfield)

Kick-off: 3pm

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.