CO-MANAGERS Paul Phillips and Steve Halford get no respite as they try to revive their STALYBRIDGE CELTIC side following the 5-0 hiding at title favourites Fylde last week.
Tomorrow (Saturday’s) visitors to Bower Fold in National League North are FC United who, although not entirely free of relegation worries themselves, will bring a numerous and noisy following with them.
Celtic have problems at the back with Sam Tatum (broken leg), Jay Gorton (ligaments), Keil O’Brien (hamstring) and Nick Ryan (hernia) all unavailable. However, up front, the managers have a selection headache. Josh Hines, Scott Spencer, Liam Dickinson and leading scorer Andy Owens are all in contention.
If Stalybridge can win, it will be their first home Saturday league victory since March.
CURZON ASHTON face a tough visit to Gloucester who are just outside the play-off places. At the moment, the Nash are only viewed through the prism of the FA Cup but they badly need some league points as they are hovering just above the bottom three, albeit with a four-point cushion and a couple of games in hand.
Manager John Flanagan has a fully-fit squad at his disposal apart from three long-term injuries. Andy Watson and Simon Woodford are close to a return while Danny Shaw is in gentle training after suffering a reaction following knee surgery.
In the Evo-stik NPL premier division, ASHTON UNITED are hoping to build on the 3-2 win over Mickleover and head towards the play-off places.
“It was good to get back to winning ways after the two Marine games that went before,” said co-manager Jody Banim. “We’re still in touch with everyone else around the play-offs zone so it’s not a bad time to have players coming back from injury and to be going on a run.”
Richard Smith, who had returned from suspension, scored twice against Mickleover and Chris Baguley played for the first time in six weeks. Midfielder Matt Chadwick returns from injury for tomorrow’s home game with Frickley and there are hopes that Ryan Crowther will be cleared to play in two weeks’ time.
Jack Dyche’s loan arrangement from Southport has been terminated, but only as a procedural matter. It will allow Banim and partner Will Haining to retain the striker for a longer time.
Banim said: “We’d like to keep Jack for the rest of the season. I think it would benefit him as well as us as he would be playing every game. He’s not getting many chances in the reserves at Scunthorpe.”
Ashton have completed the loan signing of goalkeeper Richard Brannigan from Macclesfield Town but were beaten to defender Dan Cowan’s signature by Chorley. However, as Cowan has been taken on as cover, the Robins have not given up hope on taking him to Hurst Cross at some point.
Banim added: “We’ve got Frickley, Corby and Matlock coming up. They’re all around the play-off places so to beat them would mean double points. It we can win the next two it would set us up nicely and could take us back into the top five.”
GLOSSOP NORTH END welcome first division north high-fliers Brighouse to Surrey Street. The Yorkshire side are second to leaders Farsley only on goal difference but have played a game more.
Max Leonard is suspended. Otherwise Chris Willcock has a full squad as the Hillmen attempt to bounce back from their midweek defeat at Goole, their first reverse in eight league matches.
DROYLSDEN are out to make it three wins on the bounce at Scarborough, but they will have to do so without four players. Ben Hampson, Phil Clarke, Danny Hewitt and Cesaire Amour Lingouba are injured and Domaine Rouse is suspended.
Stalybridge Celtic central defender Adam Farrell’s loan deal has been extended until the end of the season and assistant-boss Aeon Lattie said he and manager Dave Pace were working hard to get new targets registered in time for the long journey to the east coast.
MOSSLEY will be hoping for a change in fortunes at home to basement club Burscough. Tom Pratt and Kyle Harrison are suspended. Dougie Carroll and Sam Robinson have rejoined the Lilywhites.
Tomorrow, the Seel Park social club is hosting a benefit concert for Callum Warburton who suffered a double leg fracture a month ago. The entertainment starts at 5pm and features Joe Harper and guests.
Three new signings feature in HYDE UNITED’S squad for the home encounter with Ossett Albion.
Central defender Sam Heathcote, signed on loan from Altrincham, is the son of the Robins’ well-known former manager Graham Heathcote and was a junior at Manchester United. Central midfielder Janni Lipka comes in from Hallam, and striker Kelvin Jackson, a product of Liverpool’s academy, moves from Conwy Borough.
Ryan Ellison and Dave McGurk are both injured. James Burke is suspended after being sent off at Colne last week.