Caldy target Hoppers to continue unbeaten run

National Two North leaders Caldy maintained their nine point gap at the summit of the division last week and now their aim is to continue their superb run of form when they host Preston Grasshoppers this weekend.

The Wirral outfit have not lost a fixture in 16 matches and are yet to put a foot wrong in this title race as we enter Round 18 of the season. Their next assignment is the visit of bottom of the table Preston as they look to keep a firm grip on top spot in this division.

The chasing pack, which includes four other sides, are all at home this weekend - apart from Stourbridge - but each club will be eager to claim another victory in their quest for a top two spot come April.

Alongside Preston Grasshoppers at the bottom of the table, Sheffield Tigers will be keen to end a run of nine straight defeats whilst Harrogate could move out of the drop zone this weekend with a victory over a struggling Luctonians side.

Caldy v Preston Grasshoppers

It is top against bottom in Round 18 in National Two North as league leaders Caldy welcome Preston Grasshoppers to Paton Fields looking to stay in control of the title race. Simon Verbickas’ men are currently on a 16 match unbeaten run which has seen them take a nine point lead at the summit and the Wirral-based side have shown no signs of relenting.

It has been an impressive streak of results for Caldy since their opening day defeat to Sedgley Park and now they have their sights firmly set on securing their 16^th win of the season this weekend. The table toppers have also won all eight of their games at Paton Fields this season so the odds weigh heavily in their favour.

Trying to upset the applecart will be Preston Grasshoppers. Garth Dew’s men suffered their 13^th defeat of the season last Saturday at home to Chester which means they are now nine points adrift of safety, but they do have a game in hand. That match against Leicester Lions could pale into insignificance if they are unable to muster up some positive results between now and when the fixture is played at the end of February.

Preston make the short trip to Cheshire this weekend having won on just three occasions this term, but just one of those victories came on the road. That triumph came on the first day of the season and since then, Preston have lost eight consecutive matches on their travels. In fact, Preston have not picked up a win in their last six games heading into this fixture with Caldy and they will know that a tough afternoon awaits them tomorrow.

Sale FC v South Leicester

It was a gritty display last weekend by Sale FC and it was the sort of performance which highlights the promotion credentials of a side. Jonathan Keep’s men battled hard for their 14^th win of the season away at Tynedale to stay in the top two in this division and keep some distance between themselves and third placed Sedgley Park.

Next on the agenda for the men from Heywood Road is the visit of South Leicester. Sale are currently on a three game winning streak and welcome their visitors to Manchester having won eight of their nine home matches this term. Their only defeat came against Caldy at the start of last month and a ninth triumph in front of their own supporters would surpass the number of home victories the side achieved last year when they were battling against relegation.

Staying on that topic, both Sale and South Leicester avoided the drop in the last campaign, but this time around, both clubs are exceeding expectations. If Sale have been the surprise package this season, then South Leicester must be second on the list. The Midlands outfit currently occupy sixth place and after being so close to the drop zone last year, they can safely say a repeat of that will not happen this time around.

South head to the north-west this Saturday on a run of four wins in their last five matches which is their most consistent spell of form so far this season. The men from Welford Road have accumulated 14 bonus-points this term and will be hoping to add to that tomorrow when they go in search of their fifth away win of the season. South will be looking to do the double over Sale after beating them 42-39 earlier in the campaign.

Sedgley Park v Hinckley

To begin 2017 away at an Otley side with a 100 per cent home record this season was a tough test for Sedgley Park, but it was one they passed with flying colours. In previous years, it may have not been the same outcome for Sedge, but Dean Schofield’s side really look like they mean business this term after the agony of the play-off last May.

Sedge were beaten to a place in National One by Old Albanian and now they are looking to go one step further in this campaign. Currently the men from Park Lane sit four points outside the top two, but importantly, they continue to put the pressure on Sale FC as each round passes by. Sedge host Hinckley this weekend looking to extend their unbeaten run to six matches and secure their ninth home win of the season.

It will not be easy for Hinckley to travel to Manchester and get a result against a side that hasn’t suffered a defeat at home this term, but a victory for the Midlands side is certainly not out of the question. In their final three fixtures of 2016, Chris Campbell’s men played three of the current top five sides and were unlucky to lose all three.

There were a lot of positives to take from those narrow defeats against Stourbridge, Leicester Lions and Sale FC and Hinckley may feel that they can go one better when they face another promotion chasing side this weekend. The newly-promoted club occupy an impressive ninth place in the table and will be oozing confidence as they head to Park Lane after a stunning comeback win against Wharfedale last weekend. Hinckley have lost just three of their last 11 matches and will be aiming for a fifth away triumph of the term this Saturday.

Scunthorpe v Stourbridge

It may prove vital that Scunthorpe secured back to back victories against relegation rivals Luctonians and Sheffield Tigers just before the Christmas break considering their tough start to this year. Last weekend, they were thumped by league leaders Caldy and their next assignment is a home fixture against promotion chasing Stourbridge.

The newly-promoted side do currently have their heads above water as they sit 12^th in the table and four points clear of the bottom three. Scunthorpe’s last two victories of 2016 arrested a run of six straight defeats and they will be keen to avoid a repeat of that wretched form by securing a positive result this weekend. The Greens have won on six occasions this season, five of which have come at Heslam Park.

The away day hoodoo seems to have vanished for Stourbridge. Before their win over Tynedale just before Christmas, just one of Stour’s 10 victories had come away from home, but at this crucial time in the season, it looks as though Neil Mitchell’s side has found a way to win on the road.

The Midlands side are currently on their best run of form since the opening weeks of the season. Stour have won their last four matches – two of which have been away from Stourton Park – and now they are only seven points behind Sale FC. They head to Lincolnshire this weekend looking for their fifth win on the spin as they aim to strengthen their promotion bid once again.

Leicester Lions v Sheffield Tigers

It might well be Lions v Tigers this Saturday, but only one of these sides is roaring at this stage of the season whilst the other is currently licking their wounds. The hosts Leicester Lions kicked off 2017 with a comfortable win over Luctonians which was their fourth successive victory in this division. That result leaves them fifth in the table and nine points behind second placed Sale FC, but the Lions do have a game in hand.

That fixture comes at home against bottom of the table Preston Grasshoppers at the end of next month, but Andy Key’s side are fully focused on the here and now as they look to stay in the promotion hunt. Leicester play host to Sheffield Tigers this weekend having won 12 games this season and seven of those victories have come at Westleigh Park.

In contrast, Sheffield Tigers can’t buy a win at present. After an encouraging start to life in National Two North following promotion last May, things have declined dramatically for the Yorkshire side and they head to the Midlands this weekend on a torrid run of form.

They began the season with four wins from their first eight matches, but since then, Sheffield have lost nine straight matches which has seen them fall into the relegation zone and now they are firmly in a battle for survival. The Tigers are six points from safety as things stand and a third away victory of the season looks unlikely this Saturday, but make no mistake, they will be out to upset the applecart as they aim to kick-start a revival.

Chester v Otley

After an incredibly mixed first-half of the season, Chester began the New Year with an excellent victory away at Preston Grasshoppers which is exactly what the Cheshire side needed. Patchy form has seen the men from Hare Lane fluctuate between possible promotion candidates to mid-table mediocrity and they will be keen to find some consistency in 2017.

Their first win in six matches lifted Chester into seventh place in the table and they host Otley this weekend looking for back to back victories for the first time since October. Chester have won eight of their 17 matches so far this term with five of those victories coming on home soil.

Otley’s success this season has most certainly been built on their home performances. The Yorkshire side have won seven of their eight matches at Cross Green in this campaign whilst in contrast; they had only triumphed once on their travels.

With this in mind, it is not a surprise to see Otley sitting in the mid-table region after 17 rounds, but they will know that they must start improving their results on the road if they harbour any ambitions of a third consecutive top half finish. The Yorkshire sides’ only away win came in the middle of November against Sheffield Tigers and if they were to double that tally this weekend, they could reclaim ninth spot in the table.

Wharfedale v Tynedale

Wharfedale were minutes away from the perfect start to 2017 last weekend, but their sixth victory of the season was snatched from their grasp by Hinckley. The Yorkshire side must now dust themselves down and maintain their excellent recent form on their own turf as they look to continue to move away from danger in National Two North.

Dale had a tough first-half of the season due to a long injury list and other factors which resulted in them languishing in the relegation zone just before December. This was not how the side who were relegated from National One last May thought life would be like in the fourth-tier, but three straight wins at the Avenue has brightened up their dull campaign. The Skipton-based side currently sit four points clear of the drop zone and a sixth home victory of the term would carry on their positive momentum.

After four wins in five matches to end 2016, Tynedale fought valiantly to kick-off the New Year with a victory at home against Sale FC last weekend, but in the end the visitors prevailed. That may not have dampened the spirits of the north-east side too much as they have had a great couple of months in this division after a difficult year on and off the pitch.

As things stand, the side relegated from National One in 2015 sit eighth in the league table and travel to Yorkshire this weekend having won eight times this season. Tyne do perform well on the road and head into this fixture having won their last four away matches. Can they add to that this weekend?

Harrogate v Luctonians

Harrogate’s home fixture with Luctonians is a game which sees to two sides seemingly going in opposite directions, despite eight points separating the two clubs. The hosts Harrogate maybe in the bottom three, but an upturn in form before the Christmas break has kick started a revival.

Home wins plus a spirted display against South Leicester last weekend has left ‘Gate just four points adrift of safety after a campaign which seemed like it was going nowhere back in November. Director of Rugby David Doherty has been at the heart of Harrogate’s recent change in fortunes and he and his side will be looking for more joy at Rudding Lane this weekend.

As for Luctonians, four wins from their first six games was an excellent start to the campaign for Alex Davidson’s men. However, injuries and other factors have hit the Herefordshire side hard and it has really affected them on the pitch.

The Lucts take the trip to Yorkshire this weekend having lost nine of their last 10 matches which has seen them slip o 11^th in the table. The last time Luctonians were in embroiled in a relegation battle was around 14 months ago and they were able to dig themselves out of trouble in empathic fashion. The men from Mortimer Park will now be hoping lightening can strike twice.