Workington and Marine play out their personal decider on Saturday, a huge fixture in the battle for the NPL West title.
The two sides met three times in the second week of the season with honours even – a win, a draw and a defeat each.
A 1-1 draw in the FA Cup at Borough Park was followed by a 2-1 extra time victory for Marine in the mid-week replay. The following Saturday they met back at Workington in the League and Reds won 1-0.
Saturday’s class back at Marine is vital to both clubs. A win would put Reds top with two games to play while Marine need a win to try and earn themselves a home tie in the play-offs.
The Merseysiders have sli[ped from top to fourth and as things stand are heading for a trip to Leek Town in the play-offs, although they still have to host their rivals in the last League game of the season on April 23.
Marine are the best supported team in the League, ahead of the Reds, and are expecting another 1,000 plus gate on Saturday. It will be a fiercely partisan atmosphere.
But Reds, themselves, had 1,180 watching last Saturday’s top-of-the-table battle with Warrington Rylands which ended 1-1.
That set-up this latest key fixture with Reds needing a win to go back to the top as Rylands don’t play.
Although they are only a point behind, Reds don’t have as good a goal difference as their rivals.
“We have been focused on the game from when we finished against Rylands. We will be fully prepared at 3pm on Saturday,” said manager Chris Willcock.
The Reds boss had three senior players missing against Rylands – Sam Smith, Kyle Harrison and Brad Hubbold.
Smith will be back and Harrison is hopeful of making the line-up ten days after limping off at Bootle.
Hubbold remains the major concern after missing the last three games with a hamstring injury.
The FA Cup replay at Marine was actually where Reds horrendous injury list started with Nico Evangelinos suffering a quod issue which plagued him for the rest of the season.
