The game at Hollow Drift is also now a double header  with the winner going on to the Durham Senior Cup Final to face either Stockton or Sunderland. The semi-final was originally drawn as a home game for West but, with some important league games looming,  City’s offer to make it a double-header at Hollow Drift was accepted.

With three games to go West are fighting for a play-off place with Sunderland (also on 54 points) and Keswick (58 points) who will face each other at Ashbrooke next week.

City will be equally keen for the five points. Their surprise win at second place Consett last time-out did them a power of good - putting  Guisborough into the other relegation play-off spot alongside Aspatria, who are well adrift.

There’s a few changes to the side which won handsomely at rock-bottom Wigton with skipper Chris Atkins moving into the problematic second row spot alongside Elliot Reed. The former Rovers player arrived as a back row, but has quietly gone about his business in the absence of regular second-rows Jake Linighan, Will Corbett, Nick Bennions and Connor McLurg.

Atkins’ regular spot at No.8 will be taken  over by the evergreen Alex Barker,  with Aidan Jackson-Smith moving from hooker to cover for the injured Isaac Robinson.

In the backs Kieran Scollay, fresh from several Man of the Match Awards,  switches to the wing with Peter Youll and Ollie Connolly resuming their centre partnership.

Max Tennant is available after his ski-ing holiday and will be on the bench alongside Aaron Muir and Jacob Wood.

The Stags will also benefit from the return of some of their regulars as they look to get over that big defeat at Northern last week. Liam Pennick and Jonny Wray will provide some strength and experience in the second row behind Jack Angus, Liam Liston and county Under 20 Fraser Henderson.