Hornets head to York in the Challenge Cup

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Rochdale Hornets v York City Knights last season

Rochdale Hornets take a break from the Kingstone Press Championship this weekend as they travel to Bootham Crescent to face York City Knights in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup fourth round.

In last season’s competition they reached the fifth round stage thanks to wins over amateur sides Rochdale Mayfield and Siddal.

Hornets’ 2016 cup campaign was brought to an end at home to Super League side Widnes Vikings, who at the time of the tie sat at the top of the division.

This year they enter the competition at the fourth round stage after gaining promotion to the Championship last season, and were handed an away tie against York.

Last season the two sides went head-to-head on three occasions, with the Knights victorious in all of those meetings back in 2016.

Hornets coach Alan Kilshaw will be hoping his men can lift their hoodoo in the latest clash of the two clubs.

Last season they were knocked out of the iPro Sport Cup by York before they became the first team to defeat the Hornets in the league.

Their latest meeting was in round four of the League One Super Eight’s when Hornets went down 36-16 at home, though Hornets went on to secure promotion.

Hornets will be looking to progress in the cup and avoid a potential banana skin.

They go into the clash off the back of a dramatic 26-26 derby draw with Oldham.

So far this season they have three wins from their opening six fixtures and are sitting in fifth place, just one point outside of the top four.

On their travels so far this season Hornets have picked up two wins from two as they have battled past Bradford Bulls and Featherstone Rovers away from home, and will be looking to continue that on Sunday.

York claimed a place in this round of the Challenge Cup with a comfortable win against community club Egremont Rangers 48-8, but prior to that had been knocked out of the iPro Sport Cup by North Wales Crusaders in golden-point extra-time.

Their league campaign kicked off with a trip to Barrow Raiders where they were humbled 28-0 before they registered their first win of the season at home to South Wales Ironmen. They were made to work for the two points though in their 26-24 victory.

It is set to be an exciting battle between the two clubs and Hornets will be boosted by the return of second rower Jono Smith as his suspension ends in time for the cup clash, and he will be raring to go as his season begins this weekend.