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Saturday's Blue Square North preview

Eastwood Town will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the league standings, while Farsley and Northwich go in search of their first victory of the campaign.

AFC Telford prepare for the visit of 14th placed Harrogate Town to New Bucks Head as they target a place in the play-off zone.

The Bucks are currently just outside the coveted play-off places after their Bank Holiday win against Gloucester City, while the Sulphurites sit in the bottom half of the table with seven points from seven games.

The Bucks are unlikely to include striker Matt Nolan, who has been granted permission by management to speak to Lowestoft Town over a move to the Suffolk-based club.

Meanwhile, defender Jimmy Turner has been released after falling behind Stuart Whitehead and Gavin Cowan in the pecking order.

Harrogate are looking to build on Monday's win against Hyde United, while also seeking their first away win of the season.

Eastwood Town boss Paul Cox will be keen to see his side maintain their impressive recent form when Blyth Spartans make the trip to Coronation Park.

Despite seeing his side claim pole position in the standings, Cox is calling for more consistency from his players.

He told the Eastwood Advertiser: "We haven't been consistently brilliant but teams at the top must have the ability to grind out results, which is what we've had to do at times.

"I still think there's about 30-40 per cent more we have to offer, which given we're currently top is a good situation to be in, rather than being up there and not playing that well, but having little else in the locker."

Blyth Spartans played to an exciting 2-2 draw against 2nd placed Droylsden on Bank Holiday Monday and will be feeling confident heading into Saturday's clash.

The Spartans have picked up eight points from seven games and find themselves sitting in 11 place in the Blue Square North standings.

Fleetwood Town travel to Redditch United this Saturday in the Blue Square North and will be looking put together their first back-to-back wins of the season.

That follows Monday's 4-0 demolition of an uninspired Workington which raised Fleetwood to 4th in the table.

Town will be up against 18th placed United who have five defeats and just two wins to their name this term.

Manager Micky Mellon knows Redditch is a hard place to gain a result and will be looking to better the visit last March when Nathan Pond's late goal rescued a midweek point.

"It's always a tough place to go to and bring home a result. The sloping pitch always proves difficult and the sloping pitch isn't easy as it showed time we were there.

"Redditch have suffered with their results lately and a backlash must always be guarded against in those circumstances.

"We are looking to capitalise on a good performance last Monday and carry on that form."

Skipper Jamie Milligan was substituted early in the second half after opening the scoring and then creating the second for Adam Warlow.

The former Seasider took a knock on his ankle during the first half and required lengthy treatment on the field.

"Jamie Milligan will probably struggle for the weekend. He's received treatment from the physio team this week on the ankle he damaged on Saturday. Apart from that, we're fine.

"I'm going to take a final look back on the training this week and decide Saturday's line-up. We've had Redditch watched and know what to do to keep the edge. Hopefully, we'll have a near-full squad to select the line-up."

Redditch boss Gary Whild has demanded a positive response from his players after the 5-1 defeat at Hinckley on Monday.

He told the Redditch Advertiser: "Only Liam Francis emerged with any credit today and to say that about just one out of 14 players who took the field is poor.

"It's easy to say we should have tested their stand-in keeper more, but I was more concerned about the goals we gave away again because I thought we had cut that out.

"It's back to the drawing board now and we have a good game to look forward to (on Saturday) against a very good team in Fleetwood who will provide a tough test for us again."

Southport manager Liam Watson is boosted by the return of three players ahead of Saturday's clash with Hinckley United.

Watson expects to have defender Chris Lever and midfielders Alan Moogan and Ashley Winn available for selection.

He told Southport Visiter: "Lever, Winn and Moogan will all be fit for the weekend. Moogan and Winn trained before the Northwich game on Monday so I am hoping both them will play 90 minutes in either of the games this week.

"I think Hinckley are a really decent team and I believe it is a game in which we will need to take the lead.

"They have got one or two really good players, Webster has won this league before and can make things happen and the lad Andy Hall is a good player."

However, Watson will miss the services of striker Chris Simm, who will miss the next three games through suspension.

Hinckley boss Dean Thomas will hand late fitness tests to Lee Collins and Chukki Eribenne after the pair missed the win against Redditch United on Bank Holiday Monday with respective ankle injuries.

Looking ahead to the clash, Thomas told Hinckley Times: "We will have to go there and be at our best because they are a side who will be looking for promotion and the expectations are very high.

"We will try and nick a goal but it is going to be tough."

Here are the fixtures in full:

AFC Telford v Harrogate Town

Corby v Northwich

Droylsden v Stafford Rangers

Eastwood Town v Blyth Spartans

Farsley Celtic v Stalybridge

Hyde v Alfreton Town

Redditch v Fleetwood Town

Solihull Moors v Gainsborough

Southport v Hinckley Utd

Vauxhall Motors v Gloucester

Workington v Ilkeston Town