MATCH PREVIEW: Let’s complete the job ourselves
Just four games left now for Reds before their 38th season of Northern Premier League football is filed away into the archives.
On the face of it, the remaining matches come under the ‘tough’ category with Leek Town, Prescot Cables and Morpeth Town all in better form than Reds, currently, and Ashton United probably in need of something on the final day to cement a play-off berth.
In terms of surviving the threat of relegation, we are almost there although it would be more satisfying if we could make mathematically certain of safety by obtaining those last few points ourselves, rather than the evolving failure of others below us.
The attitude in last week’s gallant failure at Macclesfield has to be replicated in the first of those four games on Saturday against a Leek Town outfit who have enjoyed a good run recently and go into the game three points better off than Reds and the comfort of 13th position.
They have scored fewer goals than Reds but, significantly, have also conceded less with both teams having registered thirteen league wins to date.
The August meeting at Borough Park finished all square with Oliver Harrison’s fine shot on the turn giving Town an early advantage before Dav Symington equalised before half time.
Leek had three great seasons in NPL West finishing 3rd, 2nd and, last season, champions and were promotion rivals of Reds, of course, in both the ’21-22 and ’22-23 campaigns.
The rivalry goes back to 1988-89 season when Leek recorded a league double at our expense in the old NPL First Division and since then, Town have pieced together a decent record in Cumbria whilst we have tended to do well in Staffordshire.
On our last visit to Harrison Park, now known as the F Ball Community Stadium, a late Scott Allison goal secured a narrow Reds’ victory.
It will be another day on the motorway network with a round trip of 350 miles for the local based players.
Mark Fell will be without top scorer Steven Rigg but, otherwise, will have plenty of options to choose from.
Kick-off: 3pm
Postcode: ST13 8LD
Admission: £13 (adult), £8 (concession), £4 (U18)
