HALL Road Rangers will be looking to keep the pressure on the top two in the NCEL Division One tomorrow, as they welcome 4th placed Penistone Church to Haworth Park (3pm).
Dave Ricardo’s side returned to 3rd in the table on Tuesday evening with their 3-1 home win over Eccleshill United.
Goals from Josh Batty, James Piercy and Connor Harman took their unbeaten run in the league to seven games, and continue to go undefeated in 2017.
However, Saturday’s game offers up a whole different occasion for the side.
Rangers boss Ricardo is full of admiration for Penistone but remains confident of a positive result tomorrow
Ricardo said after Tuesday's win:
“They’ll be coming here for revenge on Saturday.
We know how to set up against them.
They have a great manager.
They’re a similar side to us really as that they haven’t got any ‘big-time Charlie’s’.
“They’re a hard working team and they’ve bought into their manager's philosophy. They’re defensively sound and have a good shape.”
Penistone currently sit just one place, and one point behind Rangers in the play-off spots, meaning the game is a huge chance for the sides, who both have games in hand 2nd placed Emley, to potentially move up into automatic promotion spots if other results go their way.
The South Yorkshire side however will not be easy opposition; a team in fine form, they have won 5 out of their last 6 games scoring 18 goals in the process. A 4-0 victory over Dronfield Town last Saturday showed their goal scoring abilities.
Hall Road have one of the league’s top scorers in Chris Spinks, however Penistone have two real attacking threats of their own.
Ricardo will be hoping from another top performance from his strikers, as they go up against a side with the tightest defence in the division. Penistone have only conceded 28 goals in 31 games, an impressive record that the Hall Road side will not be hoping plays on their mind on Saturday.
The visitors will be seeking revenge though at Haworth Park, for Hall Road were the side earlier in the season that ended their 29-game unbeaten run thanks to an 83rd minute winner from Gareth Owen at Church View Road.
Rangers have a varied record against Saturday’s opposition since they entered the NCEL Division One back in 2014. This will be the 6th meeting between the sides, with Hall Road looking for their 3rd win.
Ricardo once again has urged the local community to support the club in their promotion push.
“We need all the supporters down to come and cheer us on.
There is five games remaining now at home.
It’s not been often in the last 10 years that Hall Road have had a promotion charge like this."