Daisy Hill have been preparing for one of their most crucial weekends of the season, with back-to-back games against the top two clubs in the North West Counties League First Division North.

After the 1-0 defeat at home to Ashton Town on Monday night dashed hopes of moving back into the promotion play-off places, Daisy now travel to face second-placed Chadderton tomorrow before hosting league leaders Pilkington at New Sirs on Monday night.

The disappointment in the home camp was palpable after Monday’s reverse against an Ashton side who started the night in the relegation zone, and Daisy joint-manager Leighton Mills says there will be some squad rotation in a bid to get back on track.

“We will be making changes for Saturday, there has to be,” said Mills.

“Too many lads went hiding and didn’t offer us enough in the game against Ashton Town on Monday.

“We were without our captain Kieran Nolan but he will be back on Saturday, and Max White will be available too, and we missed them both on Monday.

“We trained on Thursday and the reaction from Monday was good, but we can’t keep looking for a reaction to bad result, we have got to build momentum.”

Despite the disappointment on Monday, Mills believes positive results on Saturday and Monday can kickstart the promotion chase once again.

“It doesn’t get any tougher, playing the teams that are first and second in the table back-to-back,” said the Daisy joint boss.

“Everyone will need to be at 100 per cent and they know they have to be, because we are playing the top teams in the division.

“We’ve got 14 games left now, and although we are not in the play-off places, we are not far away and a win against Ashton on Monday would have put us in there.

“Teams around us have games in hand on us, and it’s not favouring us at the minute, but there is still a long way to go.”

Kick off at Chadderton’s Falcon Fire Stadium tomorrow is 3pm, and 7.45 pm is the starting time for the game at New Sirs against Pilkington on Monday.