Seasiders ready to tame Tigers

Whitby Town player-manager Darren Williams feels his side should be pushing the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League's very best - including Saturday's visitors to the Turnbull Ground - fifth-placed Worksop, writes Andrew Snaith.

Eleven points separate the two clubs, with Williams targeting the Tigers' play-off spot, after his team's six-game unbeaten Evo-Stik NPL run.

The former Sunderland star told the Whitby Gazette: "We don't have the backing Worksop have, from a financial point of view, but we've got some very good players and we're building a good squad.

"Realistically, we've got to be putting ourselves up with the likes of Worksop and [leaders] North Ferriby, because we are good enough to be there. It'll be a tough game. Worksop always have a good side - they've got a very big squad and some good players in it."

The Seasiders are chasing their first double of the season, after defeating the Nottinghamshire outfit 1-0, in October, thanks to Nathan Mulligan's goal. Not that Williams thinks it'll make any difference this weekend.

"I don't think it plays a part, to be honest," he insisted. "Yeah it was great going down there to get a victory, we played extremely well and we dominated the game, but I don't think it has a bearing. It's a new game, it's a fresh start and we're going to look to move on from there."

Williams and his charges have been left frustrated with four weeks of postponements, since their last league outing - a shock 5-2 victory, at Marine - who remain third.

The 35-year-old, who made 108 Premier League appearances, is desperate to get back playing and believes the pitch should be fine for the weekend battle. He added: "I would like to think so. The weather hasn't been too bad, it just depends on how much water the pitch has taken, with the melting of the snow.

"I'm assuming it is very likely that we will be playing- it has been really windy, the last couple of days, which has hopefully helped the pitch to dry out a little bit."

Like Town, the division's top scorers lost out at Farsley in the Doodson Sport League Cup, on Tuesday. They've secured just one win from their last five matches, also matching the Blues in beating Frickley Athletic 4-1, albeit in the same competition they tumbled out of in midweek.

This after a formidable Evo-Stik league run, following their defeat to Williams men, which saw Worksop unbeaten in eight - winning six and scoring 33 goals in that time - including the 8-1 thrashing of Blyth Spartans.

Meanwhile, Whitby and their coach are keen to hit the ground running on Saturday. Williams admits the wintry conditions have taken their toll but revealed they've been training twice a week.

"It's been very difficult", he conceded. "A lot of our sessions have been indoor - which is not great - ideally we'd like to get outside. We had a good couple of hours putting the lads through their paces on Tuesday - yes there was a little bit of rustiness - but we're hoping to get that out by the weekend."

The Blues should have a fully-fit and available squad, with leading-marksman Nathan Mulligan, who has 13 league goals, likely to shrug off a nagging knee injury.

* Supporters are reminded that the Club Shop will be open as usual on Saturday with the February issue of the Blue Army Fanzine ready to buy, for just £2.50.