Fylde face their last challenge of a long season when they travel with a weakened squad to face National Three (North) champions Nuneaton on Saturday (ko 14.00). The scheduled end of the season was the 18th April but has been prolonged due to a backlog of matches postponed due to bad weather in the depths of winter.

Following their defeat at Harrogate last Saturday, Fylde have slipped to 4th in the table and they will be underdogs at Nuns' Liberty Way Stadium to improve on this position. With a number of players missing through Lancashire County commitments, plus a long injury list, it will once more give some of the squad's youngsters a chance to impress the Woodlands club's rugby managers who will already be planning for next season.

Nuneaton have proved themselves outstanding champions of the division although they have slipped up a little in recent weeks with defeats at Kendal and Macclesfield. They will be looking to celebrate in style against one of the handful of clubs that have chased them for promotion all season.

Fylde regulars Steve Nutt, Nick Royle, Sam Beaumont and Kieran Brookes will be with the Lancashire squad against Warwickshire and Oliver Brennand would have joined them if he hadn't injured a shoulder a couple of weeks ago. Brennand joins skipper Roger Banks & fellow lock Nick King on the long term injury list. Dan Bowman skippers Cumbria against North Midlands in his home town of Workington.Winger Tommy Banks and flanker Mark Stephenson are late withdrawals from the squad. Martin Wallwork skippers the team for the first time.

Highly promising current Kirkham Grammar School 6th former Daniel Bibby who impressed in his senior debut last Saturday notches up some more invaluable experience.

In a very young backline, John Embelton makes his National League debut and Jack Ward & Matt Gargett also make their first starts at this level. Amongst the replacements, prop Martin Macareavey, flanker Fraser Spavin, scrum-half James Smith and utility back Mark Norris may also get their first experience of league action.

The game will be played, like virtually all Nuns' fixtures this season, not on the Club's main ground but on an outside pitch. This is due to a prolonged and embarrassing dispute between the Rugby Club and Nuneaton Borough FC who share Liberty Way.