The Bees are expecting another close encounter when they face Middles-brough tomorrow at Acklam Park.

Boro visited Cougar Park, again in North Division One, on November 18 and it took a drop goal in the fourth minute of injury time by fly half Steve Brimacombe to defeat them 28-26.

"That match could have gone either way," admitted Bees coach Matt Green-wood. "Their strength is in the forwards and they will be doing a lot around the fringes and mauling from the line-outs, plus they have a reasonable set of backs.

"Our strength is wider out so it should be an interesting encounter. This game and next week's against Stockton at Cougar Park are very important to us."

Otley travel to manchester in National League One desperate to end a six-match losing run - five in the league and one in the cup. Out are winger Sam gardner, who has a groin injury, and fly half James Lofthouse, who has an ankle injury, and in come Tom Lauriston and Dan Clappison.

Fifth-placed Wharfedale, at second-placed Harrogate in National League Two, welcome back prop Richard Lancaster, hooker John Lawn, back-row forward Russ Buckroyd and replacement prop Craig Ingram. Only four weeks ago Harrogate went down 25-0 at The Avenue.

Keighley have named a squad of 18 for their home Yorkshire Division One clash against Pontefract, but the match is unlikely to go ahead such is the state of the pitch at Rose Cottage.

Cleckheaton's scalp becomes bigger by the week, and tomorrow the leaders are at Hull. Darryl McSwiney comes in at prop for Carl mason, who drops to the bench.

Unchanged and improving Bradford Salem return to Leodiensians - where they gained promotion to North East three at the end of the 1997-98 season - this time in Yorkshire Division Two.

Baildon have John Thompson back at scrum half for their Yorkshire Division Four derby at Burley. Chris Smithies reverts to centre, Dave Wilde moving to the wing to the exclusion of Matt Oddy. Jim Hutton is in the back row for the concussed Danny Smith, and lock Richard Crooks replaces Lee Brown..

Otley (at Manchester): I Shuttleworth; T Lauriston, R Whatmuff, M Billington, M Kirkby; D Clappison, A Brown; R Kelly, D Sayers, D Hall, P Williams, P Curtis, J Burke, L Denham, J Skurr. Replacements: G Cassidy, G Hope, R Duckett, A Pogson, H Lui, I Carroll, I Judson.

Wharfedale (at Harrogate): J Davies; A Mounsey, D Whitfield, C Armitage; N heseltine, G Smith; R Lancaster, J Lawn, N Dickinson, D Lister, A Capstick, P Evans, R Buckroyd, H Verity.

Bees (at Middlesbrough): M Coultas; A Firth, J-P Rimington, T Marlow, D Allen; S Brimacombe, B Greaves; M Heap, P Scott, R Raper, B Clarke, B Grange, A Woodhead, H Greenwood, J Potter. Replacements: D Smith, R Head, J Bowen.

Keighley (home to Pontefract) from: W Knowles, G Davey, A Fella, R Emmott, N Wright, M Gaffney, M Uren, R Riley, D Pullan, P Sinfield, R Leach, P Southgate, S Atkin, L Gordon, M Lister, A Bennett, L Sugden, M Feather.

Cleckheaton (at Hull): A Green; C Rika, J bentley, J Tozer, M Docherty; G Steadman, G Smith; S Coy, S Wragg, D McSwiney, B Wilson, J Brooksbank, M Terry, C West, R Oldroyd. Replacements: R Hunter, C Mason, N Gillan.

Bradford Salem (at Leodiensians): J Simpson; R Donoghue, N Klenk, S Brown, R Moorhouse; J Wall, J Dawson; C Buxton, S Markey, J Fitch, J Morrell, J France, D Close, B Scarbrough, S Cowman. Replacements; A Jubb, A Dalton, J Bradbury.

Baildon (at Burley): G Guyers; D Wilde, D Hemming, C Smithies, N Oddy; A Whitley, J Thomspon; T O'Neill, S Fitt, D Helstrip, R Crooks, C Holt, R Kendall, P Wilson, J Hutton. Replacements: M Oddy, S Burgess, L brown.

Aireborough (home to Wickersley Excelsior) from: P mackie, D Sockett, M Craven, P Booth, J Rhodes, A Martucci, J Bottomley, P Bottomley, J Kinghorn, J Williams, G Jones, D Greenwood, R Leather, C Dine, T Baxter, R Fall, P Exley, P Nightingale, T Exley, M Hemsley.

Wibsey (at Knaresborough): R Greenwood; L Metcalfe, A Todd, R Burton, L Wright; D Horsfall, A McDonnell; P Garside, T Hall, A Rose, M hartley, I percival, N Carter, M Carter, S Rose. Replacements: R Brear, R Wood.