SOCCER: Weekly round-up.
Stalybridge Celtic
Skipper Kevin Parr faces another month on the
sidelines with an ankle injury.
Midfield dynamo Parr suffered the injury during the new year's day clash with Hyde, but Celtic manager Dave Miller is relieved to report that the ankle is not as bad as was first feared.
Miller said: "After further x-rays it seems that Kevin's ankle is just very badly bruised and not broken. It's looking like he will be out for another four to six weeks."
Meanwhile, Miller is delighted to have finally captured striker Tony Black following the 33-year-old's release from Accrington Stanley. He could well make his debut for Celtic in the home league derby clash with Ashton United on Saturday.
Miller said: "I've known Tony for a long time,
since we were players together at Wigan, and I know what he can
do.
"He's a good athlete, and I believe he's still got three or four good years in him yet.
"He's a good athlete, and I believe he's still got three or four good years in him yet.
"He must earn his place in the team though - it'll be a challenge for him."
Ashton United
It's already been a hugely satisfactory season
for Ashton United following promotion to UniBond's top flight last
May.
But this weekend comes one of the sterner tests for Gerry Quinn's side as they travel to Stalybridge for the big Tameside derby.
Ahead of the current campaign most Robins fans would have settled for ninth place in the table at the turn of the year, but manager Quinn still believes there's much more to come from his team.
He said: "We've been forced to kick our heels a bit with all the postponements lately, but the lads are really looking forward to Saturday.
"Celtic have improved a lot since we played them at Hurst Cross back in August - it should be a good occasion.
"I'm looking for us to kick on a bit more though. Everybody has had a good run in the team now and I know that if we play to our potential we can get something at Stalybridge.
"I'm happy with how things have gone for us this
season, but I'm still looking to strengthen all the time."
Danny White should be available for Saturday following suspension, while injured striker Phil Denney was hoping to get a run-out in the Manchester Premier Cup quarter-final tie at Maine Road on Tuesday night.
Supremo Dave Pace was left frustrated yet again
on Saturday as his team followed up a superb 4-1 win at
Gainsborough with a 5-2 hiding at Whitby Town.
In one of the few UniBond games to beat the big freeze at the Turnbull Ground, the Bloods had only consolation strikes from Wael Nazha and Darren Wright to show for their efforts on a miserable afternoon.
Pace was understandably fuming on Monday, and said: "The consistency just isn't there, but I know its up to me to turn things around.
"I'll offload before I buy in now, I've told the players that they must play for the shirts. There'll be changes on Saturday."
Droylsden welcome fellow premier division mid-table outfit Harrogate this weekend, and Pace has already said that new signing Leroy Chambers will probably be in the starting 11.
Pace added: "Leroy (the former Macclesfield Town and Altrincham striker) came on as a sub on Saturday at Whitby and looked really lively.
"Hopefully he'll quickly gel with the other lads.
"I'll get it right at Droylsden, we need to get back on the ball and I'll make sure that happens."
The Bloods' home Manchester Premier Cup tie against Abbey Hey was postponed on Monday night.
The quarter-final clash has been re-arranged for this coming Monday, January 20.
The Football Association's decision to veto the
Nationwide Conference's plans for expansion have heaped more
pressure on Hyde United in their battle to avoid the drop from the
UniBond league's top flight.
A successful application to join the Conference's proposed regionalised second tier could have spared the struggling Tigers from relegation to the first division. But that avenue is now closed for another season, Ewen Fields boss Steve Waywell is targeting championship form from his side.
Waywell said: "An escape loophole has been taken away from us, but we certainly won't be giving up yet.
"The lads will need to show championship form from now until the end of the season. My main concern now is just winning games.
"Some of our recent performances haven't been too bad, especially at Blyth.
"At Stalybridge we matched them for a good hour, but bringing in a host of new players at once didn't help us in the match against Colwyn Bay.
"I'll be using my contacts in the UniBond and the Conference to attract more new blood in the coming weeks, but even that's difficult at this stage of the campaign as most players are settled now.
"There may be some new faces in the side for the Barrow trip on Saturday, there will be more changes before the season is out as we get things right here.
"I've already said that fortunes are not going to change overnight, but hopefully playing in front of a big crowd on Saturday will give the lads a lift."
The National Leagues System Committee will meet with the Conference at a later date to discuss the way forward, now that the non-league football pyramid will remain unchanged for at least another season.
Struggling Glossop face a real six-pointer this
Saturday at Atherton LR, with boss Chris Nicholson hoping for a
repeat of their victory at Surrey Street earlier in the
season.
With the Hillmen just a point clear of third-bottom LR in the North West Counties first division table, Nicholson is determined to secure at least a point from the Crilly Park clash.
Nicholson said: "We were quite convincing despite only beating LR 2-1 at our place, but it promises to be much more difiicult at their place.
"Crilly Park isn't the most welcoming of places, but we won there last year so let's hope we can repeat that.
"We'll go there in a positive frame of mind, but we really must get something from the game. I'll be very disappointed indeed if we don't."
Nicholson then revealed that he doesn't yet know how some of his players will react following the tragic news of Chris Ringland's death in a Turkish air crash.
Ringland played for Glossop for around five years before moving to Woodley in the summer, and will be sorely missed by everyone at Surrey Street.
Nicholson said: "Some of the lads might have Chris on their minds on Saturday, but if they do, let's hope they can turn that to our advantage.
"We've got to start having a go at teams more - attack is the best form of defence in my book."
Gareth Goswell will miss Saturday's game through suspension, but Dave Conlan is now available again following a ban.
Defender Andy Sherlock may have to miss the trip through injury.
Manager Gary Lowe has urged his players to go out
and win Saturday's home league match against Ramsbottom especially
for former player Chris Ringland.
The popular Ringland was tragically killed in a plane crash in Turkey last week, leaving his team-mates and staff at National Park in a state of shock.
Lowe said of the former Glossop and Woodley centre half: "Saturday is going to be an emotional day for everybody, but let's go and win the game for Chris.
"He genuinely was a lovely lad.
"No-one will be wearing his number five shirt on the day. We've asked the league if we can discontinue using it as a mark of respect."
On a slightly lighter note, Lowe has targeted victory against bottom side Ramsbottom as an incentive towards moving up the North West Counties league first division table.
"If we can string two or three wins together, we'll be right up into eighth or ninth position and that's not bad,'' he added.
Lowe has a full squad to choose from for Saturday's game.
Lowe has made approaches for two new front
players in an attempt to boost his 'goals for' column.
Steve Bailey has been knocking in the goals for Mid-Cheshire League Styal, while Phil Mogarbo is also on the hit-list after some impressive displays for Cheadle Town.