NPL preview | Promotion rivals meet on busy weekend of action
A thrilling weekend awaits in the NPL Premier Division, with several of the season's early pace-settings meeting this Saturday.
League leaders Redcar Athletic host third-placed Guiseley, who are the division's in-form side over the past 10 games.
Redcar are the only side in the division yet to lose at home in the league this season and could move as many as six points clear at the top of the table if results go their way.
Guiseley are no strangers to upsetting high-flying sides this season, having defeated Avro and Cleethorpes Town in their last two games.
Those two sides come up against one another this Saturday, in one of the other eye-catching games of the round.
Second-placed Cleethorpes hold a two-point cushion to a chasing pack of three, including Avro in fifth, and they will seek a positive result this weekend to avoid being reeled in by the sides below.
The other two teams in the top six, Gainsborough Trinity and Curzon Ashton, are both at home this weekend.
The pair met on Tuesday night, with Curzon running out impressive 3-0 winners on the road.
Saturday will see Gainsborough come up against Bamber Bridge and Curzon face Leek Town, both of whom enter the latest round of fixtures in the bottom five.
Meanwhile, seventh-placed Workington visit a Bury side hoping that a second league win in a matter of days at Salford Van Hire Gigg Lane will be enough to take them into the play-off places.
The Shakers defeated Leek Town 5-3 on Tuesday night, but know it will be a far more difficult challenge against a Workington outfit that have lost just one of their past six away league games.
Even with a win, Bury are not guaranteed to move into the top seven at Workington's expense.
That is because sandwiched between the pair are Warrington Rylands and Warrington Town, who boast identical records with 14 games played.
Away games against Ashton United and Quorn lie ahead for the pair, who could also end the weekend in the play-off positions.
Both Warrington sides have fared far differently on the road this season, Rylands winning just two of seven away from home in the NPL this season and Town falling to defeat just once in that same time.
Their opponents this weekend sit in the bottom half.
Ashton are winless in 10 in the NPL, but have won twice in the FA Trophy and once in the FA Cup during that time.
As for Quorn, a resurgence of late means they come into Saturday's game against Warrington Town in the midst of a five-game unbeaten run.
Elsewhere this weekend, Alfreton Town will host an Emley side hoping to make it four games unbeaten in the NPL.
And Lancaster City will be keen to put to an end a two-game losing run when they head to Broadhurst Park to take on FC United of Manchester.
A point in midweek means Mark Beesley's Reds could climb out of the relegation zone this weekend with a win, but it would rely on other results going on their favour.
Beaten for the first time under new boss Graeme Lee in their previous game, Whitby Town will have some wrongs to right when they welcome Stockton Town to the Yorkshire Coast.
Having reached the play-offs last season, Stockton have found the going far tougher this season and come into the latest round of games occupying a spot in the bottom four, two points from safety.
The final game of the weekend sees basement side Ilkeston Town welcome Hyde United to Derbyshire.
Both are hoping that a change in the dugout will see them start to climb the division. Ilkeston recently appointed Ryan Hindley as their new boss, while Nick Spooner will take charge of Hyde for the first time in the league since returning for a second spell in charge.
All games will kick off at 3pm, unless stated otherwise.
Fixtures - Saturday 31 October
- Alfreton Town vs Emley
- Ashton United vs Warrington Rylands
- Bury vs Workington
- Cleethorpes Town vs Avro
- Curzon Ashton vs Leek Town
- FC United of Manchester vs Lancaster City
- Gainsborough Trinity vs Bamber Bridge
- Ilkeston Town vs Hyde United
- Quorn vs Warrington Town
- Redcar Athletic vs Guiseley
- Whitby Town vs Stockton Town
Check out the latest fixtures and results from across the NPL East Division, NPL Midlands Division and NPL West Division.