MATCH PREVIEW: Still plenty to play for
FC United of Manchester make their third visit to Borough Park on Saturday, kicking off a trio of consecutive home games for Reds.
If we graded our fixtures, this would be Category A – always a popular game on the calendar and one that normally tops the thousand mark in terms of attendance. There hasn’t been a four-figure crowd at Borough Park this season yet and, as the top game in Cumbria this weekend, there is an opportunity to maintain the healthy support for this fixture.
Both teams are fighting for a top-half of the table finish after spending most of the campaign trying to avoid the bottom four. And a good run since Christmas has propelled FC United into 11th position, three points better off than Reds in 15th.
With the season entering it’s final two months, it still feels like two steps forward and two, sometimes three, back for Mark Fell’s side. Just as we get ourselves to the comfort of mid-table, we lose momentum and return to ‘bottom eight’ surroundings.
And because of that inconsistency, we still need three wins, perhaps more, to guarantee our Step 3 status for another season.
Boss Fell felt the squad he named last week was one of the strongest he was able to field this season, although our first half performance at Worksop certainly didn’t reflect that.
And, as a consequence of the cards picked up in the 4-2 defeat, he will have to re-shuffle the defence once again with Steven Swinglehurst and Jordan Little both suspended.
Back in November, we obtained a fully deserved point following a 2-2 draw at Broadhurst Park but many of a Workington persuasion felt it was two points dropped rather than one gained. Steven Rigg scored both goals that day – a header and a last gasp equaliser via the penalty spot – and he has enjoyed a fine personal season, netting his twentieth of the campaign last week and his fiftieth career goal for Workington.
FC United are much improved since that Autumn clash and know that a first win at Borough Park will put a bit of daylight between themselves and us in the Premier Division table.
An intriguing fixture and, as Reds’ supporters, we can expect more of the unexpected.
Kick-off: 3pm
