Robins fear snow go

Ilkeston FC warned fans on Friday that next week's Derbyshire Senior Cup Quarter Final with Heanor Town could be moved back 24 hours in an attempt to beat the weather.

The game, which has already been postponed twice because of frost and snow, is scheduled to take place on Monday, 18 January 28.

If the New Manor Ground pitch is unplayable, officials at the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Robins hope an extra day of thawing - following a forecasted rise in temperatures over the weekend - will enable the game to take place on Tuesday with the same 7.30pm kick off.

The Robins also fear the weekend's Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division fixture at home to Nantwich Town is already becoming a severe doubt, with a pitch inspection planned for 9.30am on Saturday. If the weather forecast proves to be accurate with heavy snow expected overnight, manager Kevin Wilson says there's no chance of the re-arranged fixture going ahead.

He said: "There's an awful lot of snow still covering the pitch and although we cleared an area to check the state of the surface, it changed overnight from being relatively soft to frozen. To be honest, I can't see any way we will play if we do get more heavy snow overnight and the concern - quite apart from the pitch - would be the standing areas and the car park.

"We have done our best to stay focused and train properly - inside and out - over the past couple of weeks. It's really important that we are mentally right to start again, whenever that happens to be."

Wilson confirmed on Friday that if the Nantwich game goes ahead, new signing Cameron Darkwah will be involved in some capacity - but he will not be available for Heanor.

In order to qualify, the former Stockport County striker needed to be registered in advance of the date when the game against the Lions was originally due to be played.