CLECKHEATON are set to take on Old Brodleians in the first taste of this newly formed derby fixture today, and Cleck are relishing the occasion.

It will be the first time the two sides have faced each other in the league and the game promises to be an enthralling fixture.

Cleck currently sit in third place in the North One East Division standings, having won three out of their opening four fixtures.

Old Brodleians find themselves sitting in seventh, but like most derby days, form certainly goes out the window.

It remains to be seen whether Cleck can move on from their narrow defeat to their league challenging rivals Ilkley, last time out.

It was a painful 19-15 defeat for the Bradford side, who will have rued several missed golden opportunities.

However, the Brodleians fixture will give head coach, Thiu Barnard and his side, the perfect opportunity to bounce back.

He said: “Although we lost to Ilkley on Saturday, I think if we put in a performance like that against Old Brodleians, then we will be alright.

“It’s a derby game, so it’s not going to be easy. We’ve actually never played each other in the league, so I’m expecting it to be a hell of a game.”

“We are all relishing the contest, but we must not be drawn into the derby side of it. We must look at the contest as just another game.

“It’s easy to be drawn into the rivalry side of things, but we must remain vigilant and focused to ensure we get the job done.”

Barnard added: “I think they (Brodleians) will try and bring us down to their level, which I’m sure will include them trying to disrupt our play.

“But as I’ve mentioned, we have to stay focused on our game rather than theirs.”

Ahead of the game, Cleck have been in a fine vain of form, picking up three wins out of their first four fixtures.

Despite losing their 100% record at Ilkley on Saturday, Barnard is pleased with his side’s early season form.

He said: “First of all, we are all delighted to be back and competing at a competitive level again, everyone has missed it massively.

“It has taken a while to get back into the flow of things but I’m happy with the start we’ve made.

“If you had said to me at the start of the season that we’d have three wins from four, then I’d have been more than pleased with that.

“But at the same time, it could have easily been four wins from four because we were a bit unlucky against Ilkley.

“We had a disallowed try, which I thought was an extremely harsh decision and that would have put the game to bed.

“And I think we weren’t able to capitalize on a number of try scoring opportunities in that game, so that was a bit frustrating.”

Barnard added: “It’s going to be a competitive season, with many good teams in the league, but our goal will be to go one better than last season and finish in first place.”