MATCH PREVIEW: League leaders in town
Free-scoring Reds will have their work cut out at the Fibrus Community Stadium on Saturday as the division’s tightest defence will have to be breached.
League leaders Cleethorpes Town make their second visit of the year to Cumbria, the first to our temporary new home.
Craig Rouse’s side don’t like conceding goals on their travels and thrive on clean sheets. Indeed, they have only let one goal in on the road and that was back in August.
They have pushed on again since their debut campaign in the Premier Division and proudly sit top with about a quarter of the season completed. And they intend to stay there with a confident squad consistently turning out impressive results.
Their only blip was a 3-1 home defeat by Curzon Ashton but they have already obtained 23 points from seven victories and two draws, with 5-0 and 6-0 successes recorded against Whitby Town and Quorn (away) respectively.
Last season’s encounters were closely fought affairs with Town emerging 2-1 winners in the inaugural meeting in Lincolnshire and the teams sharing the points at Borough Park on Easter Monday.
Reds found themselves in 5th position after the impressive win at Emley, watched by the Cleethorpes boss, and, whilst it’s nice to sit above the likes of Warrington Town, Bury, Curzon Ashton, Warrington Rylands, Gainsborough Trinity and Lancaster City, we know the situation will quickly change as most of those below us have games in hand.
Nevertheless, we have to give credit to the manager and the depleted squad for the number of points obtained in recent weeks.
The never-ending unavailability list has been the major talking point with the majority of games missed by squad members due to injury, although work commitments and holidays also come into the equation.
Keelan Leslie has missed 4 games, Isaac Whitehall (6), Matty Douglas (2), Jack Dickinson (8), Luke Ellis (5), Kai Nugent (4), Jake Allan (2), Charlie Barnes (2), Brad Carroll (2), Joe Grayson (2) and Brennan Dickenson (1).
Ceiran Casson and Luke Hunter are the only two players to have started every game.
This will be the first of two home clashes with Town this month – they return in three weeks for the FA Trophy encounter – and will be another marker on our progress over the last twelve months.
At the end of September, last year, we had six points in the bag!
Kick-off: 3pm
