Cleator Moor Celtic hope to have top scorer Callum Birdsall back for Saturday’s trip to Sunderland West End in the FA Vase.
Birdsall missed Saturday’s North West Counties League game at home to South Liverpool when two goals in the last 10 minutes gave the visitors a 2-0 win.
Manager Martin Mahone said: “Callum has looked fit and sharp this season but he was away at the weekend and we missed him.
“It was a fairly even game because we were both well-matched and I felt the team that scored the first goal would go on to win it. We had chances, not a lot, but couldn’t take them.
“There weren’t many opportunities for them either but they did grab the lead with about 10 minutes to go. We threw everyone forward – hit the post and were denied in a frantic goal-mouth scramble – and then with the very last kick they broke to score a second.”
Sunderland West End are lying eighth in Division Two of the Northern League and warm-up for the Case tie with a home game against Durham City on Wednesday night. They lost 3-0 at Blyth Town on Saturday.
Mahone said: “We don’t have a mid-week game so we are focused on the Vase tie. We know it will be tough, it always is going over to the north-east but we are looking forward to it and if we have Callum back it will be a big lift.”
