North West Counties League preview
10:20am Friday 12th March 2010 in Sport By Gordon Sharrock
DAVE Hughes will ask for more of the same from his Atherton LR players when they continue their battle to pull clear of the Vodkat NW Counties Premier League relegation zone at Maine Road tomorrow.
The Goldline Trophy holders and finalists ended a six-match losing streak when they came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Bacup Borough on Tuesday.
Hughes, who was boosted by the return of former skipper Ross McNair, who has not been available recently because of work, and Jim McMullen, who has missed six months with a knee injury, was delighted by the performance.
“We asked the lads to be a bit stronger and more aggressive, within the laws of the game,” he said. “And I thought their attitude and the way they worked was fantastic.”
LR could be without Louis Edwards through injury, but Rob Howarth is available after suspension.
Atherton Collieries travel to AFC Blackpool on the back of a run of three successive wins that have seen them surge up the Division One table.
Struggling near the bottom at the turn of the year, Steve Pilling’s side have won five out of their last seven games and currently lie seventh in the league.
Daisy Hill, who showed impressive resilience in a scoreless draw against a powerful Holker Old Boys team on Tuesday, travel to fellow Division One strugglers Oldham Borough.
New Sirs boss Craig Thomas described the midweek performance as “dogged” and singled out his two 18-year-old centre-backs John Buckley and Danny Hatfield for special praise.
“They did really well and refused to be out-muscled,” Thomas said.
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