Premier Preview: Points crucial at both ends

By James Gordon

Mickleover Sports could drag Bamber Bridge further in to the relegation dogfight if they can beat Witton Albion - whose aspirations of making the top five are growing slimmer by the week.

Bamber Bridge’s game at North Ferriby United has been postponed after a winding-up petition against the Villagers was upheld.

That means should Sports win, they will be just a point behind Brig.

At the other end of the table, Farsley Celtic welcome Stafford to Throstle Nest. Rangers overcame 10-man Warrington last weekend and knocked the Yellows off top spot in the EVO-STIK League Premier Division. With another trip to a promotion-chasing side, can John Bromley’s side cause an upset for the second time in the space of a week?

Ahead of the game, goalkeeper Kyle Trennery stressed that his side will need to be adaptable if they are to cope with the pressure of being the hunted.

“It definitely feels like there is a target on our back,” he told Farsley Celtic’s official website. “As we've found out, teams change their game plan and come and sit behind the ball, making it harder for us to break them down which poses a new challenge.

“The gaffer tells us not to panic because it's natural for every team to lose the odd game, and it helps when you've got a dressing room like ours where everyone is fighting for one another.”

Should the table-toppers slip up, Warrington will hope to capitalise as they welcome Whitby Town to the Winner Recruitment Stadium, while South Shields travel to Borough Park to take on AFC Workington.

Ahead of the Yellows’ game, manager Paul Carden said that his side need to dust themselves down and forget about the disappointment of the previous week.

“I always knew Stafford would be a tough game,” he told the Warrington Guardian. “It is what it is, we just have to move on from it.

“It’s the same win or lose – we have to quickly put games into the past and put it right. We have to realise that before Saturday, we had one defeat in 17 games. We need another run like that.”

In the race for the final two play-off spots, Nantwich Town visit a Hednesford Town side with three wins in their last four home games, Gainsborough put their three-game winning streak on the line against eighth-placed Basford and Scarborough host a Stalybridge side that have won just of their last nine away games.

Elsewhere, Buxton travel to Grantham, who have won three of their last five home games, while Hyde United will hope to rectify their recent poor form against mid-table Lancaster.

In the final game of the round, Marine will look to go within three points of Matlock when the two teams go head-to-head at the Marine Travel Arena.

Words by James Messenger

Where next?

New Evo-Stik NPL Show available The weekly Evo-Stik NPL Show returns this week as we look ahead to this weekend's big matches in the Northern Premier League Premier Division.
Margetts back at Matlock Matlock Town have re-signed Jonny Margetts on loan from Boston United and also moved for winger Nathan Morley.

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