A surging run, after a dismal start to the year, has raised hopes for a top five finish at Kendal Town.
Five League victories in a row have carried the Mintcakes back into the play-off positions when at the end of January it looked as though they were slipping out of contention.
In actual fact Jimmy Marshall’s side have done it recently in un-Kendal-like ways – winning their last two games 1-0 – results which have more or less been foreign to them.
Marshall, celebrating his 100th game in charge on Tuesday, with that 1-0 win over Prestwich Heys admitted that his record won’t show many 1-0 victories.
“I think I’m known as a manager who likes to get the ball down and play, but it’s no good if you can’t cope with other aspects of the game, and I think we have done that really well recently.
“The squad is very much together as a group of players and it’s te old cliché – we are focusing on one game at a time to see where it takes us,” he said.
And where it takes them tomorrow is to Pilkington, currently fourth bottom with nine wins from their 35 League games so far. It’s one Kendal will expect to win to continue their fine run – and further cement a play-off place.
Holker Old Boys are also chasing a promotion play-off place in League One North – they are six points off the top five but with games in hand.
They have a big game at home tomorrow against a Bacup Borough side who are only three points behind them but from two more games.
In the Northern League Carlisle City desperately need to find their form again as the season threatens to peter out – which would be really disappointing after they had been challenging strongly for a top five finish.
Tomorrow they host Boro Rangers, and it would be a good game in which to bounce back to winning form.
City are seventh now, three points and two places better off than Boro Rangers which leaves Jim Nichols’ men just two points off fifth (Heaton Stannington )but from four more games.
In their recent heavy defeat to Whickham, City were on the receiving end of a goal blast from Scott Robson who scored a hat-trick to add to the three he scored earlier against Penrith.
Robson has 27 for the season, second in the League’s top scorers list, behind Joe Posthill of Shildon (30).
Rob McCartney (15) is City’s leading marksman, which is one behind ex-Workington striker Matty Tyman now plying his trade for Guisborough.
Top Cumbrian scorer, though, is Luke Hunter of Penrith – fourth in the list with 20 and looking to add to that tomorrow when the Bonny Blues visit Northallerton.
Lying third bottom Northallerton were beaten 4-1 at home in mid-week by the bottom side Tow Law who were registering their first win of the season.
Darren Edmondson’s men are in a solid 13th position, their best for some time, and the manager will be fancying his chances of adding to their points tally at Northallerton.
It’s been quiet for both West Lancashire League sides – Cleator Moor Celtic and Whitehaven – with a postponement each and then a free week for both.
But they return to action tomorrow with contrasting Premier Division fixtures – headed by the visit to Cleator Moor of League leaders CMB, beaten only once in 21 games all season.
Whitehaven are also at home but they have struggling Slyne with Hest as visitors – and they have won only one this season, losing all ten away fixtures.
In the Wearside League Windscale have slipped alarmingly down the table to tenth as a crop of injuries have seriously affected form. To add to the poor run they lost to County League skide Maryport Athletic in the quarter final of the Fred Conway County Cup last Saturday.
It doesn’t get any easier as they travel to Hartlepool Pools Youth FC who are fifth, eight points better off than the Cumbrians although they have played five more games.
