LANCASTER City travel to Unibond league leaders Accrington Stanley in the Lancashire Cup next week.

But a good run in that competition is unlikely to save some of City's players from the chop after a disappointing start to the season.

The game at Accrington next Tuesday will be a tough encounter and is expected to attract a large crowd.

Stanley are runaway league leaders and hot favourites to make it to the Nationwide Conference at the end of the season.

Their side will boast a series of players with local connections, including Michael Knowles and Andy Gouck - recent arrivals from Christie Park - and, of course, the Stanley boss is John Coleman, a goalscorer for both the Shrimps and the Dolly Blues.

Lancaster have had a transitional season which has seen them fail to get near the championship race, and boss,Tony Hesketh looks set to give youth its head.

City have invested in a new youth academy in connection with Myerscough College and have also picked up youngsters such as Steve Miller, Chris Bennett and Ricky Mercer.

The club is now set to give those players, and other prospects, the chance to claim a permanent place in the team.

But that could mean the end of the line for some senior, better paid members of the under-performing squad.

City's tie with fourth from bottom Blyth a week on Saturday gives them a chance to climb into the top half of the table from their current 14th place. The home game against Frickley Athletic - another struggling outfit - will have to be rearranged after it was called off due to Saturday's heavy rain.

Lancaster did receive something of a tonic on Tuesday night when they managed to win through to the second round of the Lancashire Cup against Fleetwood Town at Highbury.

It was a Mercer goal, which gave city the lead. The former Preston North End youngster's shot ricocheted off a defender and past former Dolly Blues and Morecambe keeper Andy Banks.

Mick Hoyle's Fleetwood featured a host of former City stars - most notably the likes of Kevin Barnes and Mark Cheal, and, although City enjoyed the better of the match, there was always the threat that a former employee would return to haunt them.

Their best chance fell to John Riches, who beat the ever-impressive Mark Thornley, only to find Paul Haddow sweeping up on the line.

Michael Yates should have killed the game off for City from close range in the dying minute, but somehow the former Dundee frontman conspired to knock the ball wide when faced with an open goal.