The three West Cumbrian teams in the National Conference Premier Division lost on the road last week.
All of them have home games tomorrow when they will be looking for two vital points which can haul them up the table.
Egremont and Kells, in particular need the points having slipped into relegation trouble as they are among four clubs on ten points with the last, Thatto Heath Crusaders, inside the relegation trap door.
Hence the importance of the clash at Gillfoot where the Mont host the Crusaders in which the pundits will have dubbed “a four pointer” or “a must win game.”
Rhys Davies the Egremont coach said: “It’s another massive game for us, a game we need to be picking up points from.
“Injuries have plagued our season but we’ve got out the strongest squad possible and I’m hoping for a good 80 minutes performance and a much needed win.”
Kells entertain York Acorn, who are just two points better off after a bright start to the season which included a home win over the Whitehaven side.
A number of injuries have handicapped Kells in recent weeks, and they have a couple missing for a stag week-end, but seasoned coach Peter Smith is getting used to these absences.
“We still have a decent team for this one. It will be tough because they looked strong when we played them down there.
“Last week we made a slow start against Hunslet which cost us and is what we can’t do this time. After that poor opening we ran them close which was encouraging.”
Just above the Acorn, also on 12 points, are Wath Brow and it will be a long time, if ever, that Hornets were closer to the drop zone than the table top at this stage of the season.
They also play a team in the bottom half, and the best-placed side on ten points, with Heworth travelling north on the back of a 44-4 home mauling by the current table toppers West Hull.
The Brow need to bounce back after losing at bottom side West Bowling last week to complete an unwanted double. They also lost at Lock Lane when the Castleford side was bottom.
In Division Two Ellenborough Rangers are at home to third-in-the-table Oldham St. Anne’s still probably working out they lost their unbeaten home record last week to Saddleworth Rangers by conceding two tries in the last two minutes.
Coach Paul Gorge said: “We really threw it away last week, a game we should have won, but they kept coming eight to the end and got their rewards.
“We will be a bit stronger this week with lads coming back from holidays and free of work commitments, but we need to be because St. Anne’s are a very good side.
“It’s going to be really tough but we were disappointed to lose our unbeaten record last week and want to make sure we don’t slip up again. I’m really looking forward to this one.”
Barrow Island suffered an away defeat to the bottom side Myton Warriors and are now very much in a relegation battle – the worst-off side in a clutch of three clubs on eight points, just above the bottom side Myton who are on six.
Tomorrow they couldn’t have asked for a tougher test – unless it was the away fixture – as they take-on leaders Shaw Cross Sharks who have lost only once in 14 games.
Millom were involved in a strange game last week. Opponents Normanton Knights arrived with 11 men, which was soon reduced to nine because of injuries. With one or two of those not fully fit the wise decision was taken to abandon the game.
Tomorrow Millom travel to Thornhill Trojans the side who are two points and a place behind them, but do have a game in hand. Needless to say it’s a good one to win for the Woollybacks.
No doubt about it, the big game in Division Three is the derby clash as leaders Distington take-on next-to-bottom Seaton Rangers.
Distington coach Aiden Worthington said: “It’s a funny fortnight for us playing the two bottom sides but Featherstone, as expected, were a lot tougher at home and I have no doubt Seaton will be really tough tomorrow.
“It’s a derby, and form goes out the window. They will be really keen and come at us, like they did at their place and like last week I have told our lads forget about them being next-to-bottom.
“We have a strong squad, bringing in a couple of young lads from the A team who have been playing well and are ready for the step-up.”
Seaton put up a good fight against third in the table Drighlington last week and on another day could have won it instead of going under 12-8.
Coach Gus Frazer said: “The first game between us was a belter and I’m expecting something similar tomorrow. Distington are a good side, who never know when they are beaten, and have made a great start to life in the National Conference, deservedly sitting top of the table. A good outfit, Aiden has done a good job with them.
“We have 17 ready to go looking forward to a hard-fought derby but we do have six players missing through – three regular lads Connor McCrickard and Ewan Nicholson are on holiday while Jordan Pritt is on his stag do.
“Callum Smith, a really good, go-forward player for us has a knee injury while we will also be missing young Byron Coulson. He was a member of the successful Hensingham Under-18s last Sunday and he played in the Under-18’s League in mid-week when he suffered a bad nose injury which will need a complete reconstruction job this coming week.
“On top of that our half-back Jon-Karl Bryan, who hasn’t missed a game, is now available so we have to make a few positional changes. But it is what it is, that’s rugby and everyone has to put up with. You just get on with it.”
Right on Distington’s tails and waiting for any slip from their west Cumbrian rivals are Hensingham, enjoying a highly promising season and already with a Cup triumph to savour through their talented Under-18’s.
Hensingham have a big game this week with a visit from East Leeds who are in third place, four points behind the Cumbrians. Yet they would be level if they had not seen four points docked before a ball was kicked, because of fixture failures last season.
Kris Coward, the Hensingham coach said: “We lost down at East Leeds and we know they are a really big, physical side with some experienced players but we are on a run of five wins on the spin and looking forward to what is going to be an important set of fixtures.
“After East Leeds at home we have the next two in the table Drighlington and Leigh East away so it’s important we win on Saturday to put a bit more daylight between ourselves and them. Drighlington play Leigh East to make it even more interesting.
“We have had to bring in two or three veterans in the last two weeks but we should be back to more like normal this Saturday.
“Two lads who have been missing for the last fortnight came back this week and they were in doing extra training themselves on Wednesday which is great.”
