MATCH PREVIEW: The final countdown

Just another week before the Northern Premier League campaign gets underway with Reds facing their seventh, and final, pre-season encounter at Borough Park on Saturday.

Carlisle United U19s will provide the opposition in what will be the last summer pre-season derby at Borough Park before the stadium re-build.

It will be good to welcome Mark Birch, Jamie Devitt, Steven Rudd and United’s talented squad back to west Cumbria for what should be an entertaining ninety minutes.

But, once again, Darren Edmondson will not be able to select from his complete first team squad as there are some who are unavailable because of family commitments and holidays. There are others, however, who return to the fold after missing recent matches.

It will be the same scenario on the opening day of the season (proper) with a wedding and suspension ruling out some of the manager’s options.

A painful reminder that things are different in non-league football and frustrating for management at this time of year.

Although slightly longer than usual, it has been a successful pre-season campaign with a new squad assembled (seven recruits so far with the possibility of more to come), good levels of fitness attained and some steady results obtained in the friendlies suggesting we are ready to go.

Training has been excellent, varied and enjoyable, and what was a bunch of strangers a few weeks ago is now a well-bonded group and ready to fight for the cause.

Tom Stephenson is the only member of the squad playing catch-up and he could be an absentee for another few weeks, having missed most of pre-season.

Mark Birch’s side have had a busy summer schedule with matches against senior teams Cleator Moor Celtic (4-2) and Carlisle City (1-5) as well as equivalent age group opponents Rangers (3-6), Celtic (0-1), Middlesbrough (3-2) and Wigan Athletic (5-1).

Both teams will be sporting their new strips for the game with United in their snazzy blue, white and red Umbro outfit and Workington wearing their new Puma number.

Kick-off: 3pm