THERE is no more exciting sight on a football pitch than that of a winger beating his full back, getting to the byline and dragging the ball into the centre for a striker.

And like so many other natural wonders, it is a sight which is becoming increasingly rare.

More and more teams seem to be relying on that clumbering continental import the wing back.

Generally bigger and stronger than the traditional winger, the wing-back can run all day, but they rely on speed rather than stealth, on girth not guile.

The days of the great winger, from Stanley Matthews to Chris Waddle, are now behind us, but at least there are a few players locally who can still send a shiver down the spine.

Lancaster City's youngster Lee Clitheroe is one, Morecambe's Ryan-Zico Black and Gary Thompson are others, but this week sees perhaps the best lower division wideman of the 90s arrive at Christie Park.

David Lee may not skip past defenders like he did when Bolton beat mighty Liverpool at Anfield when the Merseyside club were just past the height of their powers, but, as those of us who saw him star for Carlisle in pre-season can testify, he's not past it yet.

He'll be joining another veteran, Andy Lyons. Lyons was never as well known as Lee, but quite a few defenders on both sides of the border have been skinned by the Fleetwood postman since his last spell at Christie Park.

Injuries have restricted his appearances this season, but nobody can be in any doubt that he has one of the sweetest left feet in football.

Let's just hope that the youngsters learn from these two old hands, and decide against taking the Steve McManaman and Darren Anderton route of denying their destiny as natural flank hoggers and gravitating towards the middle of the park.