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Saturday's Blue Square North Preview

Fleetwood Town are desperate to get back to winning ways against Hinckley United on Saturday as Southport, with three matches in hand, look to make up the four-point gap separating the two sides at the top of the table.

The Fleet boosted their strike force after two losses and two games without a goal by signing striker Lee Thorpe from Darlington with boss Micky Mellon telling the Blackpool Gazette: "Lee will be involved with Saturday's game at Hinckley and I look forward to working with him. I'm looking for the same type of impact Alan Wright's experience brought to the group."

Mellon knows they face a stern challenge in third-placed Hinckley and vows to get back to winning ways: "The players have done fantastically well to get us to this stage with ten games to go. Now we have to keep going and stick together. We are not top of league by luck, but because we have players with hunger, desire and great ability."

Second-placed Southport have a far easier task against 21st-placed Gainsborough, who picked up vital points against before losing to Stalybridge in their last match. The Sandgrounders can't afford to take anything for granted, however, after drawing their last match against Corby Town.

With the season entering a crucial phase, manager Liam Watson is looking to bolster his squad by adding an experienced defender as well as bringing in one attacking option.

Watson told the Southport Visitor: "We have identified a defender we are going to bring in but it will not be for another two weeks. Likewise we will be looking to bring in an attacking option to pack out our forwards, again that player should arrive in a couple of weeks.

"Saturday will be another tough game because they have got a lot of experience in their side, a lot of ex-Football League players. In many ways it could be a similar test to the one we faced last weekend at Corby Town, but I am anticipating a less physical game. But as always, we have just got to get about our business early and make sure we get the three points."

Alfreton Town still have a lot of work ahead of them if they are to maintain their current position among the play-off places but will be confident of three points against 18th-placed Gloucester.

Boss Nicky Law won the Manager-of-the-Month award for February after the Reds picked up 11 points from a possible 15 although they dropped points in their 1-1 draw at Stafford Rangers last weekend.

Law is hoping his side will get back to winning ways. He told This is Derbyshire: "Tuesday was disappointing, because with the run we are on, we were keen to get there and show what we could do. But we now have to refocus and make sure we take our form into the Gloucester game.

Gloucester City will not give up without a fight, however, with manager Dave Mehew hoping his side can make amends for capitulating against Town earlier in the season.

He told This is Gloucestershire: "It was obviously a really harsh result when they came to us and won. However, we can take great strength that we gave them a real game down here and that has to be the message I will give the players. We avenged a home defeat when we went to Farsley a few weeks ago and we can do similar tomorrow."r fixtures."

Fifth-placed Droylsden are just one point clear of the chasing pack and face a Hyde side desperate for points. The Tigers are just three points clear of the drop zone after a dismal second half of their campaign. Droylsden suffered a shock loss to Farsley Celtic last week and will be keen to get back to winning ways while Hyde have lost their last two matches.

Harrogate Town can take confidence from Gainsborough's recent performance against their opponents this weekend as despite losing to Stalybridge, Trinity pushed them all the way and only succumbed to an injury time goal that handed the tie to Celtic.

Harrogate are four points worse off than Trinity and will have to eradicate the memory of their 3-0 to AFC Telford if they are to get themselves off the foot of the table.

Vauxhall Motors are just three points behind Hyde and Gloucester, although having played five and four games more than those two sides respectively, will not be harbouring too much hope of advancing up the table. It won't stop them from trying against Corby this weekend though, who lost 3-2 to Ilkeston Town in their last match.