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Saturday's Blue Square North Preview

There is the potential for the leading clubs in the Blue Square North to pick up maximum points this weekend.

The top five, excluding, Stalybridge, who don't have a game, all face teams in the lower regions of the divisions. There are just three points separating first from fifth, meaning no one team can afford to slip up.

League leaders Southport opened a one point gap at the top of the table with their 5-1 thrashing of second-placed Eastwood Town last week and travel to 12th-placed Workington, hoping to add another three points to their tally.

Shaun Gray will be handed only his second start of the season. The defender spent a month on loan at UniBond Premier Division side Burscough earlier this season and comes in to help fill the gap created by suspended players Earl Davis and Rob Marsh-Evans.

Manager Liam Watson told the Southport Visiter: "Workington is a very difficult place to go to, though they are a hit and miss side in terms of form. If we get three points on Saturday it will be as good any three points we have got up to now."

Second-placed Corby are in action at home to Redditch, who find themselves fourth from bottom after nine losses and just four wins. They share the same number of points as Vauxhall Motors, who have an equally tough encounter against Droylsden, in third. Vauxhall boast and equally unimpressive haul this season with just two wins all season, although they will be buoyed by the fact that those results were recorded at home.

Farsley Celtic are another side who will need to be on top of their game for the visit of Eastwood Town this Saturday.

Celtic's 2-1 defeat at home to Corby last week ended a five-game unbeaten run for Neil Parsley's side and they face fifth-placed Eastwood on the back of a 5-1 mauling from Southport.

Parsley reported no concerns ahead of the tie. He told the Telegraph and Argus: "There were no new injuries so there is no reason to alter the squad. All the available players will be in contention and we will look to start another run going."

Elsewhere, Alfreton Town host Stafford Rangers with Rangers manager Chris Brindley hoping his side will rise to the challenge of facing a team with realistic ambitions for the league title.

Brindley told the Express and Star: "Alfreton are a very good side, I fancied them to win the league at the start of the season. They have had a slow start but are starting to pick up, so it's going to be a hard place to go.

"Playing the better sides we have just got to get what we can, while winning the games against the sides around us. That is what we will have to do."

In the day's other games, second from bottom Gloucester host Hyde and Solihull Moors take on Blyth Spartans.

Gloucester most recently lost 1-0 to fellow strugglers Gainsborough, while Hyde were unlucky to have had to settle for a 2-2 with Vauxhall Motors, who equalised from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

Both Solihull Moors and Blyth Spartans have been far too inconsistent for their manager's liking and will be both hoping to arrest any further slide down the table by putting in a match winning performance on the weekend.

All the games in full:

Alfreton Town v Stafford Rangers

Corby v Redditch

Eastwood Town v Farsley Celtic

Gloucester v Hyde

Solihull Moors v Blyth Spartans

Vauxhall Motors v Droylsden

Workington v Southport

Postponed:

Harrogate Town P-P Hinckley United

Ilkeston Town P-P Gainsborough Trinity

Northwich Victoria P-P Corby Town FC

Redditch United P-P AFC Telford United

Stalybridge Celtic P-P Fleetwood Town