Proverbial six pointer

All roads lead to Borough Park on Tuesday and, with admission charges greatly reduced the club are hoping for a bumper attendance to enhance the atmosphere as the bottom two clubs face-up to a season-defining encounter.

In a rearranged fixture, Reds host Mickleover Sports where defeat for either side is unthinkable. The match was originally scheduled for January but was postponed ninety minutes before kick-off after torrential rain left the pitch seriously waterlogged.

The referee called off the fixture just as the Mickleover team coach arrived at Borough Park so the Derbyshire outfit make their first mid-week trip to west Cumbria, hoping for better weather second time around.

Rain is forecast but, hopefully, not on the scale that we witnessed two months ago.

With the worst home record in the Evo-Stik Premier Division, Reds don’t exactly go into the game as favourites and will be aware of Sports’ recent results on the road – an impressive 2-0 success at Scarborough Athletic and a commendable 1-1 draw at Matlock Town.

Back in October, Reds fell to a third successive defeat at the Don Amott Arena after Jason Walker missed a penalty when the game was goalless. Less than eight minutes later, Nathan Jarman scored a spectacular winner.

Top scorer Walker will miss the game but, otherwise, Lee Andrews has a full squad available.

This will be the eighth meeting between the clubs with honours even so far. Both Reds and Sports have won three games in the series after the inaugural fixture at Borough Park finished as a draw.

Kick-off 7.45pm.