ALTHOUGH baffled by the number of scrum penalties that they conceded, Otley's director of rugby Peter Clegg was pleased with many aspects of their 38-13 National League Two North defeat at Leicester Lions.

He said: “We had Max Johnson back at scrum half, but we were missing four backs.

“The lads who came in did well, but we should have Ollie Goss and Jack Mackie returning for Saturday's home match against Sedgley Park, although Henry Roberts and Tom Hodson will still be missing.”

Clegg added: “I was very, very pleased by last weekend’s display, but puzzled as to why we were given 14 scrum penalties when we hadn’t had a problem with any other referee.

“I was just disappointed for the lads as they put in so much effort and got no reward, but it will be a difficult game against Sedgley Park.”

Former National League Three North foes Cleckheaton and Ilkley meet in a first round derby in the Yorkshire Cup at Moorend, and both sides want to put out their strongest available team.

The hosts go into the match on the back of two successive home defeats in North One East, and player-head coach Thiu Barnard said of their 23-15 setback against Alnwick: "It was better than the week before (against West Leeds) and we had more than enough chances to win the game, but we were not clinical enough.

"We were in their 22 far more than they were in ours and we had a lot of scoring chances."

Barnard added: "We are without Josh Plunkett-White, who is still suspended, but we will be fielding as strong a side as possible as we want to win in front of our committee and our spectators, although Ilkley will be firm favourites as they are sixth in the league above."

Bradford Salem are at home to Heath in the first round of the Yorkshire Shield, a forerunner to the same match in Yorkshire Division One a week on Saturday, and are still beset by injuries.

"I can't remember a run like it," admitted Salem's first-team manager Neil Klenk. "Last season was bad but we were hoping that this season would be better.

"John Morrell, John Bradbury and Callum Manchester are still out and we are hoping that Connor Malarkey will be fit, having only just returned after four weeks out, while long-term absentees Sam Savage, who has been out for a year, and Max Trueman, who has been out for six months, are close to returning." 

Old Grovians are at Ripon in another first-round tie.

Baildon are at Leeds Modernians in the first round of the Yorkshire Vase, and player-coach Robbie Hill said: "It is one of our goals to field either the same side week to week or as near as we can, and it will be nice to have a challenge away from the league and try and build some momentum."

Cleckheaton (home to Ilkley): R Evans; L Darville, J Wilson, Matt Piper, M Hayward; M Swetman, L Beasty; P Turner, J Crowther, A Piper, J Clough, R Piercy, T Austin, L Pearson, B Marsden. Replacements: N Cherryholme, N Jackson, C Crotty, W Denham.

Bradford Salem (home to Heath) from: D Belcher, R Smith, C Malarkey, A Robinson, N Fontaine, M Booth, J Simpson, T O'Sullivan, G Greikis, J White, B Whitaker, S Gardner, C Wood, M Darragh, A Veitch, C Baines, M Bokiss, H Brown, C Armstrong, S Markey.

Baildon (at Leeds Modernians): M Robinson; L Strauss, L Robertson, D Pollard, D Fletcher; M Withers, J Aaron; A Hewitt, J Robinson, G Price, A Magee, M Fox, M Dixon, D Cookson, H Strauss. Replacements: N King, C Peel, W Craven, R Hill.