Scott Bakkor from Curzon Athletic to Marine
Daniel Byrnes from Mossley to Ossett Albion
Devante Jacobs from Stalybridge Celtic to Radcliffe Borough
Russ Saunders from Trafford to Glossop North End
PLAYER movements registered with the Evo-stik NPL from Sunday, August 20, to 11am on Saturday, August 26.
Scott Bakkor from Curzon Athletic to Marine Daniel Byrnes from Mossley to Ossett Albion Devante Jacobs from Stalybridge Celtic to Radcliffe Borough Russ Saunders from Trafford to Glossop North End
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Weekend Previews
CO-BOSS Paul Phillips misses GLOSSOP NORTH END’s Evo-stik NPL first division north game at Skelmersdale tomorrow (Saturday). He will be serving the first instalment of a suspension incurred for being sent off in the FA Cup defeat by Mossley. Hyde United keeper Russ Saunders takes over in goal. Connor Martin returns to the Surrey Street squad but Chris Baguley is described as 50/50. Liam Brownhill and Liam Wood should be back in contention next weekend. New man Jamie (Jay) Matthews, a winger signed from Redditch United — www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dijkG9Nszs — should figure for MOSSLEY who are home to Trafford. Domaine Rouse is suspended for DROYLSDEN who visit Ossett Town. HYDE UNITED, who entertain Ramsbottom United at Ewen Fields, are same as they were last week with Chris Churchman and Lawrence Hunter the only doubts. In the premier division, STALYBRIDGE CELTIC will be attempting to arrest their alarming early-season slide when they take on newly promoted Shaw Lane at Bower Fold. But they will again be without defender Danny Morton. The skipper has failed to recover from an injury picked up in the defeat at Whitby and is also expected to miss Monday’s trip to Lancaster. Steve Burr is expected to ring the changes for the second game in succession as he struggles to find a successful formula to put his team back on track. This could mean a return for midfielder Paul Ennis who was injured in pre-season and has yet to feature. ASHTON UNITED could have three players back when they travel to Sutton Coldfield. Josh Stachini, Max Cartwright and Alex Johnson are all in contention. “It’s a bit of light relief after midweek when we couldn’t fill the bench, “ said manager Jody Banim. He added: “We’ve won two and drawn two and we’re looking strong. If we can get more players back from injury we’ve got a decent squad. We’re looking in good shape. We’ve just got to keep on going. “We’ve got two quick games over the weekend and if we can win both we’ll have 14 points out of 20 and that would be a great start.” In National League North CURZON ASHTON are involved in a midtable clash at the Tameside Stadium. They face Blyth Spartans, the team immediately beneath them in the table. Danny Shaw returns after recovering from a damaged ankle, but Steve Howson misses out through suspension and Jordan Wright is suffering a recurrence of his hamstring injury. Bank Holiday fixtures National League North: Alfreton Town v Curzon Ashton Evo-stik NPL premier division: Ashton United v Buxton, Lancaster City v Stalybridge Celtic. First division north: Droylsden v Mossley, Glossop North End v Hyde United. THEY say the league table doesn’t lie but just like the wartime poster, Steve Burr’s only plans are to keep calm and carry on.
Even though his widely-fancied Stalybridge Celtic side are bottom instead of top of the Evo-stik NPL premier division, and have lost three out of four games, there are no alarm bells ringing at Bower Fold. The manager believes in his squad and feels the problem may be one of confidence rather than quality. “I never press the panic button,” said the Burr. “What I do is give it a couple of days to mull things over and then I go again. “It’s been a bad start to the campaign and the last three results haven’t been good — I know that — but I don’t think the Whitby and Rushall results properly reflected our performances. “Against Whitby we played well for long periods but they got two goals at the end when we were pushing to get a win. Against Rushall we would have won if we’d taken our chances. It was only against Marine that we didn’t get going and maybe that was a confidence thing. “I’ve never made any promises about what we’ll achieve this season, and it’s only at the end that we’ll be able to decide what sort of a season it’s been, but in 2012-13, when I was in charge at Kidderminster Harriers, we lost the first five matches, didn’t win any of the opening ten, and then turned it right round and finished only two points behind Mansfield. “If that happened here I’d take it, but we need to start winning now. It’s when you start to win that your confidence grows. “I don’t like the position we’re in now because that’s not what I’m used to and I didn’t come back to Stalybridge Celtic to be a failure. Wherever I’ve been I’ve known success of a kind — even here at Bower Fold last season. I didn’t keep the club up but we did start winning some matches and got off the bottom of the league. “At Southport I got them out of the relegation area, although at the time that wasn’t enough for them, and it was a similar sort of thing with Chester.” Ahead of the season, Stalybridge were strongly tipped as one of the favourites for promotion. It was no secret that club chairman Rob Gorski had made a generous budget available to secure a return to National League North at the first attempt. However, Burr denies that pressure has anything to do with his team’s failure to perform so far. He said: “I have no problem with the fact that people are tipping us. Stalybridge Celtic are a big club at this level and we’ve got to accept that teams are going to raise their game against us. They’re going to try and scalp us. “But it’s not the sort of pressure you get playing in front of crowds of six or seven thousand every week. Here at Bower Fold the fans are very supportive. They get right behind the players and I’m sure there are bemused and gobsmacked as I am at what’s happened so far. “Maybe it’s a confidence thing. Maybe it’s because we did so well in pre-season. Maybe we just need a little bit of time to gel. Possibly we’ll have to shuffle a couple of players out and shuffle a couple in. “I have confidence in the squad. I know they’re a capable group of players and I’m always loyal. I’ll always give people a fair chance. But if things don’t start to happen I’ll have to make changes because otherwise I’ll be changed. “Barely three weeks ago we played Nantwich off the park so I’m not going to suddenly castigate the lads as no-hopers. But whatever happens we won’t be using 60 or 70 players as we did last season. “It’s always tough when you’re at the wrong end of the table. I’ve not lost any belief in myself, or the squad, but having said that I can’t wait forever and a day. It’s an unfortunate fact in football that you don’t get a lot of time to get things right. Whatever the level it’s all about winning.” Weekend Previews
A FULL-BLOODED old-fashioned derby beckons at Surrey Street tomorrow (Saturday) when Glossop North End face Mossley in the preliminary round of the FA Cup. The Hillmen, who have taken six points from their first two league games, scoring five goals and conceding none, face an unbeaten Lilywhites side that has won and drawn, and which put five goals past Kendal last weekend. Add in the £1,925 prize money, and the fact that North End co-boss Steve Halford used to manage at Seel Park, and it’s clear that a tasty encounter is in prospect with more than local pride at stake. The veteran Halford is, in fact, in intention to start for GLOSSOP. Chris Baguley and Billy Hasler-Cregg face late checks. MOSSLEY have no injury worries and are boosted by the return of Danny Johnson who was at a family wedding last Saturday. Midfielder Chris Churchman continues to struggle for HYDE UNITED, who are home to Congleton, after suffering a deadleg. Left-back Lawrence Hunter is also a doubt Danny Hall is the only possible absentee for DROYLSDEN who visit Ossett Albion. Adam Farrell, Phil Clarke and Dimitri Tuanzebe remain long-term injuries. In the Evo-stik NPL premier division, STALYBRIDGE CELTIC will be looking to bounce back from Tuesday’s heavy defeat at Whitby when they travel to bottom of the table Rushall Olympic. Bridge will be without Danny Morton who has picked up an injury that is likely to keep him out for two to three weeks, but the rest of the squad are all available with either Lee Neville or Adam Jones expected to deputise for the absent skipper. Midfielder Paul Ennis is back in contention after returning from injury and scoring the winning goal in last night’s reserve clash with Hyde United. ASHTON UNITED have received good news ahead of their home clash with Grantham. Defender Josh Stachini, who was thought to have ruptured his cruciate ligament, has in fact only suffered a strain and could be back within a month. “It’s very good news,” said manager Jody Banim, “although we did bring in a couple of signings as back-up because we thought Josh would be out for the rest of the season. The situation’s changed now but it gives us a couple of options.” The men in question are former Mossley centre-back Josh Granite, and Stalybridge Celtic wide man Danny Pilkington. The Robins have paid a small fee for Granite, who moves to Hurst Cross from Trafford. Otherwise, Ashton have six men out for tomorrow’s match including Stachini and long-term injuries Ryan Crowther and Rick Smith. Tom Eckersley and Dom Smalley both miss out. Banim added: “We’ve got 16 fit players so we’ll be able to fill the bench. Against Farsley in midweek we were very, very poor in the first half and then tremendous in the second. So I’m hoping the second-half team turn up tomorrow.” Jordan Wright has recovered from a hamstring tear and returns to the CURZON ASHTON squad for tomorrow’s National League North match at Tamworth. Danny Shaw remains sidelined with an ankle ligament strain but should return to training next week. Matt Flynn will undergo an operation on his knee before the end of the month. Rehab is expected to take six to eight weeks. |
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