WHARFEDALE coach Jon Feeley wants the home crowd to become their 16th man as they take on fifth-placed Richmond on Saturday in SSE National League One.

The injury-hit Greens have lost their last two matches, and Feeley said: "Richmond have invested heavily but if we play with spirit and get the crowd behind us, we can make life difficult for any team that comes to The Avenue."

Choices for Wharfedale's selection committee have been severely restricted over the past two weeks but Feeley and company should have more options at their disposal this weekend after injuries and a virus have taken a toll.

He said: "Chris Steel only lasted 15 minutes at Cinderford last weekend because of a virus – the last thing we want is that affecting us on top of our injuries – while Matt Van Sertima was kept away because of a virus and a 'dead leg'.

"But we have Matt Beesley available again after his dismissal at Fylde the previous week.

"He had a prior clean disciplinary record and there was provocation, so he only received a one-game ban, which was the 27-17 loss at Cinderford.

"Taylor Prell is also back after an ankle injury, while we will have to assess Adam Howard, who came off with a knee injury against Cinderford.

"But Phil Woodhead's calf continues to be a problem and we may have to look for a long-term solution."

The disappointments of Saturday's defeat for Feeley was the players' inability to follow the game-plan before half-time and that they coughed up points through errors.

He said: "The idea was not to give the ball air but to move their big forwards a bit wider, and we didn't do it in the first half. However, we did a lot better in the second half and looked a real threat for 20 minutes."

Prell and Beesley apart, Wharfedale also welcome back fly half Jamie Guy after concussion, while there is a significant boost in the back row, where Jack Barnard makes his seasonal debut, having made several appearances this season for Yorkshire Carnegie.

Van Sertima is set to play for the Foresters in their important Yorkshire Premiership clash at Hull Ionians, as is centre Huw Morgan, a new signing from Cambridge.