Cleckheaton and Otley have an added incentive for winning their Powergen Cup third-round ties tomorrow.

If both progress they will meet in an attractive, money-spinning tie at Cross Green on Saturday, November 6.

However, both have to overcome difficult away fixtures to make that happen.

Cleckheaton are at fellow National League Three club Westcombe Park, from Kent, and are travelling down tonight.

"After a decision made in consultation with the players and the committee, we felt it was better to be stuck on the M25 tonight rather than tomorrow," said Cleckheaton Sports Club chairman Alan Bentley.

"We have played them before - in the late 1980s at Scottish club Corstorphine's Easter Tournament. Westcombe Park arrived dressed as city gents, which was a laugh."

Cleckheaton haven't had the opposition scouted, though, preferring to concentrate on their own game rather than the Orpington club's.

Bentley added: "We have switched Lance Hamilton and Geoff Jones around in the back row to try and give ourselves a bit better defence. We have been working on our defence this week.

"Westcombe Park play at the same level as us, but we are expecting a very hard match because they are on their own pitch. But the opportunity to play at Otley is a big incentive."

Apart from anything else it would mean a return to Cross Green for Otley old boys John Bentley, Mark Billington and Chris Quinn. Cleckheaton's only other change is to give Paul Turner a start at prop, Jim Lamptey dropping to the bench.

Bentley said: "We hope that will give us a bit more solidity. We had that against Darlington Mowden Park and Fylde, but not against Kendal or last Saturday against New Brighton."

Flanker Matt Terry is on the bench after recovering from a broken hand, but former Great Britain rugby league international Paul Newlove has another run with the second team (Kestrels), this time at home to Harrogate.

National League One Otley, still without injured trio Nathan Bland, Howard Parr and Justin Wring, are picking from their strongest possible 22 at National League Two Bracknell.

"We are going there to win," said Otley's secretary Marc Lawrence, "and we hope that Cleckheaton come through too."

Otley have, however, been winning matches without playing well, never mind fielding their strongest side.

"We've had four or five senior forwards missing and we haven't been able to achieve the platform that served us so well last season," said Otley coach Peter Clegg.

Bracknell have fallen at this stage for the past four seasons, while Otley have only lost their first match once in ten seasons.

Cleckheaton (at Westcombe Park): G Boyd; J Bentley, C Quinn, M Billington, J Mortimore; M Sales, G Smith; C Mason, S Worsley, P Turner, J Dudley, C Rika, L Hamilton, O Akroyd, G Jones. Replacements: J Lamptey, S Bishop, M Terry, J Chard, N Welch.

Otley (at Bracknell): I Shuttleworth; W Sovatabua, R Whatmuff, P Mooney, K Dench; S Binns, D Scully; S Trethewey, D Sayers, K Fullman, J Oakes, P Williams, J Tiffany, E Thorpe, M Stockdale. Replacements from: A Brown, R Pike, N Taylor, N Law, M Luffman, B Fear, G Wilson, C Hall, M Cooke.

Keighley (home to Wharfedale Foresters, club match): M Cox; A Firth, D Horne, M Gaffney, J Currie; J Harrison, A Balderstone; R Riley, D Pullen, T McArthur, A Bennett, R Clarke, S Inman, P Salmon, M Feather. Replacements: P Schofield, R Leach, L Sugden.

l Preview of the Bees' Sunday tie at Bristol will appear tomorrow