Trio looking to keep up the pace
Promotion-chasing trio Rushall Olympic, Stourbridge and Hednesford Town are all looking to get back to winning ways in Southern Central Premier tomorrow (3pm).
It has been two weeks since they were in league action – all advancing through the first qualifying round of the FA Cup in the meantime – and slipped up in their last fixtures on August 31.
The Pics and the Glassboys – who also met in the League Cup in midweek, with the Pics prevailing 3-2 – have home games to look forward to, while Hednesford Town are on the road.
“We are focused on the challenge ahead and determined to keep building the momentum,” said Rushall boss Liam McDonald, whose side welcome winless St Ives Town to Dales Lane. “We need to put in a good performance to give us any chance of getting the desired result.
“It has been encouraging to see the patterns of play that we work on in training being used in match situations and, to a man, the lads can be pleased with the start that they have made to the season.
“That said, we’re not getting too carried away – we know that we have to battle and work hard in every single game in order to get anything and it will be no different on Saturday against St Ives Town. It’s important for us to be able to get as many points on the board as we can when we are playing well because we know that there will be times when things are not going our way.”
Stourbridge also face a winless side in rock-bottom Leiston at the War Memorial Ground, while Hednesford Town go to mid-table Kings Langley.
Stafford Rangers boss Alex Meechan is hoping to build on back-to-back clean sheets to secure Boro’s first Northern Premier win of the season tomorrow.
They drew 0-0 at home to Basford United last time out in the league and followed that up by downing divisional rivals Mickleover Sports 3-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Another clean sheet and three points against FC United of Manchester at Marston Road would be much needed for second-bottom Stafford.
“FC United have just come down from National League North and have a strong following,” said Meechan. “It will be a tough game, make no mistake, but we’re at home and have kept two clean sheets in the last couple of games, so we’re going into it in high spirits. If we can continue what we’ve started over this past week or so, that’ll be great.”
Chasetown face a tough home test in Northern One South East as they welcome third-placed Spalding United to the Scholars Ground.
In National League North, Kidderminster Harriers host Altrincham hoping to end their winless start to the season at Aggborough. Harriers drew their opening match of the season on home soil and have since lost four consecutive matches. They face an Altrincham side who are yet to win on the road this season, drawing two and losing three of their five away games to date.
