HEAD coach James Ford admits neutrals will be ganging up against his York City Knights side on Sunday - and says his charges will have to be at their best to avoid giving them a fairytale to enjoy.

The Knights go to the only remaining community club left in the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup, Leigh Miners Rangers, as favourites to reach round six, with the prize of a potential money-spinning tie against Super League big guns.

But Rangers boss Alan Coleman, whose team are currently at the pinnacle of the amateur game, unbeaten in the National Conference League premier division, says all of Leigh is “going crazy” in getting behind his men - and that everyone in rugby league apart from York “wants us to get through”.

Ford, for his part, is in agreement, stressing he is aware of the challenge afoot in a tie to be played at the home of high-riding Super League-seeking Leigh Centurions.

“I think it’s probably the general English mentality to get behind the underdog, and rugby league is no different,” he said.

“We know they will be heavily supported by Miners Rangers fans and Centurions fans, and neutrals will be behind them.

“We’re going there with a job to do and we will have to be at our best.”

Leigh Miners ousted Oxford 32-6 in the previous round, whereas the Knights had a few scares last Sunday when beating the same opposition 44-20 in League One. Harry Carter suffered concussion that day which probably rules him out this weekend, although Kriss Brining is fit again to be a like-for-like replacement and new signing Casey Canterbury, a fellow hooker, is also set for his debut.

Said Ford: “Leigh Miners have got some very good individual players and play a good high-tempo jump-and-react style of footy. We will have to be good in contact and good around our processes to make sure we progress.

“I’ve seen a video of their win over Oxford. They were very good value for it - it wasn’t as if they were fortunate in any way.”

Coleman is no stranger to cup shocks, having played scrum-half for Leigh Miners in 1999 when they beat the then Northern Ford Premiership side Bramley 18-12 in the third round at Headingley.

Victory this Sunday would top that, seeing Miners become one of the first community clubs to reach the last 16.

He said: “It’s massive for the club and the town. It’s just going crazy at the moment.

“I think we’ve sold 15 corporate boxes for the game, tickets are on sale in pubs and the phone’s been going non-stop with the press.

“Everyone apart from York wants us to win. I think they want an amateur club to be in the last 16 of the Challenge Cup - you never know, stranger things have happened.”

He added: “There’s no pressure, York are a very established side. Everyone’s saying we’ve done well to get this far but as a group with myself and the coaching staff, we feel as though we can go further.

“We’ve had a really good pre-season and we’ve played seven won seven, including cup competitions.

“We’ve not lost in the league, which was a major priority of ours to make sure the cup didn’t affect us. The nicest thing is that we go into Sunday’s game with a full 23-man squad to choose from.

“We’re feeling really confident. It’s a massive challenge for us and we’re relishing it.”

Asked whom they would like to draw should they get through, Coleman said: “I think the town would want the Centurions but you can’t help but look at the top teams in Super League – Wigan, Saints, Leeds and Warrington. Any of those would be dreamland for my guys.”

Tickets on Sunday cost £8 for adults and £4 for concessions, and children under 12 get in free.