SCOTT RHODES knows the odds are heavily stacked against his York Acorn ARLC side for tomorrow’s Carnegie Challenge Cup tie – but he has not written off their chances of causing a major shock.

The National Conference League division one outfit go to Championship One club Gateshead Thunder in the third round of the famous old competition (3pm) having battled through three previous ties, the last against amateur big-guns Skirlaugh.

Hosts Gateshead have not won now for over a year – an unwanted 27-game streak stretching back to the third round of the cup last March against another community club, Milford. Indeed, they have not beaten fellow professional opposition for 49 games.

However, a new-look squad under new coach Kevin Neighbour have pushed several teams close this year, including York City Knights in a Northern Rail Cup tie last month, and Rhodes acknowledges they will pose a “massive test” for his amateur charges.

But asked if he ruled out an upset for his side on the back of five wins from five games this year, he said: “Not at all.

“We’ve got to go there with high hopes – we’re not going thinking we’re going to get a walloping. We’ll give it our best shot, 100 per cent. They’re expecting to beat us. But we’ll see. What happens, happens.”

Acorn trained last night and the match-day squad will have breakfast together and a final going over of the game-plan tomorrow morning before travelling north for the game. The club will also host an after-match party at their Thanet Road headquarters on the players’ return tomorrow evening.

Said Rhodes: “We’re expecting a hard game. It’s going to be tough.

“They’re semi-professional players and they come up against quality opposition every week, a lot higher quality than we do. They’re looking for their first win and they will probably see this as a stepping stone in their season. It will be a massive test for us.

“But we’re going to go and try to put in a good performance and if we get that right the result will look after itself.”

In Acorn’s line-up are prop Adam Endersby, who had a spell with Thunder in 2004, and Mike Embleton, who turned down a move to the Tynesiders in the same year. Other playing links include former players Darren Callaghan, Gareth Lloyd and Carl Stannard.

There are several York links in the Thunder ranks, with five ex-Knights likely to be on show, including hooker Tom Hodgson, who started out in the York amateur scene with New Earswick All Blacks.

Rhodes said: “I know Tom. He’s very strong with the ball in his hands. He’s a dangerman for them. He gets out of dummy-half well, especially near to the try-line and he takes some handling. It’s something we will have to combat.

“I’ve looked at them a bit. I’ve not got to see games obviously but from footage I’ve seen they look a pretty good team. I’ve watched footage of their game against the Knights and they did some good stuff.

“They’re pretty strong in the back row and centres and they’ve got an ex-York scrum-half (Paul Stamp), who takes them around the park, and a neat kicking game as well.

“We’ve worked on these areas in training and we’ll see what we can come up with.”

Admission to the Gateshead International Stadium costs £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, with under-12s allowed in free.

Meanwhile, the draw for this year’s York and District Cup has been made, and pits Acorn away to Heworth in the preliminary round. The winners of that tie will go to New Earswick in the semi-finals. The other semi-final is between York Lokomotive, new to the competition, and Selby Warriors. Dates for the ties are to be confirmed.