Atherton Collieries head out on the road again on Saturday as they visit Mossley, looking to manufacture a reverse in their fortunes from Tuesday’s trip to Chasetown.
Michael Clegg’s men were ultimately beaten 2-1 in their most recent outing, that despite Ethan Kershaw netting the game’s opening goal just past the hour.
A swift return to the ‘win’ column will be the goal this weekend, then, with the Colls also having the opportunity to complete the season sweep against their next opponents, having triumphed 1-0 in October’s reverse fixture at the Dreams2Reality Stadium thanks to a last-gasp Calen Gallagher goal.
Since that meeting, however, Mossley have typically proven rather formidable, losing just once in ten Northern Premier League Division One West matches, with that sole defeat coming in the form of a narrow 3-2 loss at current second-placed side Vauxhall Motors.
That run, which includes victories in each of their three most recent fixtures, leaves Saturday’s hosts sat 7th in the table at the time of writing, with their overall total of 30 points (eight wins, six draws, five defeats) from 19 matches leaving them just three points adrift of the play-off places.
But with Colls themselves having embarked on a run of four league wins in five prior to their defeat in midweek, all expectations should be for a competitive encounter between two quality sides.
And adding one final layer of intrigue to proceedings is the fact there could be a potential return to a former side for midfielder Alfie Belcher who, if he plays on Saturday, will have appeared on both sides of this fixture this season, having only arrived in Atherton after that aforementioned previous meeting.
For those intending on making the trip to Seel Park, match tickets will be available on the gate, priced as follows:
Adults: £10
Concessions/Students: £6
Under 18s: £3
Under 16s: £1
