East Preview: Second place at stake

The Colls are one point ahead of Town in the table, with second spot guaranteeing a home play-off final if they make it that far. The hosts come into this game in far superior form having won seven of their last nine in the league. Nevertheless, Brighouse are spurred on following a victory in their last game, making this meeting all the more intriguing.

Both sides do still have a mathematical chance of making up the 10-point gap to table-topping Morpeth Town, who can extend their seven-match winning streak at home to Stamford.

Elsewhere in the race for a play-off spot, Ossett United can put some distance between themselves and Tadcaster, who sit one place outside of the top five. The two sides come into their meeting at Ingfield in different form, with Albion losing their last two and Ossett on a three-match winning run.

Victory for Tadcaster would see them end the day in the top five, if Sheffield FC fall to a shock defeat at the hands of rock-bottom Gresley.

Further down the table, Cleethorpes have the chance to extend Belper Town’s two-game losing streak when the sides meet this weekend, while Marske United will look to bounce back from Tuesday’s disappointing defeat to Brighouse against struggling Wisbech Town.

In the middle of the pack, Lincoln United have the chance to go within one point of 11th as they travel to a Loughborough Dynamo side with three wins in their last four at home.

Meanwhile, Frickley Athletic will aim to inflict further misery on relegation-threatened Carlton Town. The Blues have been draw specialists of late, having shared the spoils in five of their last seven games at Westfield Lane. Nevertheless, they will be confident of picking up all three points this weekend.

In the final two games of the round, Spalding United will look to end their poor run of five wins in six on the road as they visit a similarly-struggling Pickering Town, while Stocksbridge Park Steels’s three-game winning run will be on the line away at an AFC Mansfield outfit without a victory in their last six.

Words by James Messenger