Preston Grasshoppers aiming to spark a revival

Last Saturday, Preston Grasshoppers gave themselves a glimmer of hope that they can avoid relegation from National Two North this season and the Lancashire side will be hoping to build on that in Round 24.

Garth Dew’s men secured a vital victory over Leicester Lions last weekend which leaves the divisions’ bottom club 11 points off safety and only six points behind 14^th place. It would be a remarkable escape from relegation if Hoppers were to achieve that feat and a win against rivals Luctonians tomorrow would keep that faint dream alive.

Fellow relegation candidates Scunthorpe and Sheffield Tigers take on the top two in the division this Saturday looking to upset the odds as they aim to move out of the danger zone. The aforementioned frontrunners are Caldy and Sale FC who look unstoppable at present and they remain firmly on course to achieve success this term.

Elsewhere in National Two North, the battle for third in the table takes place at Park Lane this weekend as Sedgley Park host Leicester Lions while an in-form Chester side welcome an out of sorts Stourbridge to Hare Lane.

Other fixtures tomorrow see Harrogate and Wharfedale take on one another as they both aim to continue their revivals while Hinckley host Tynedale and South Leicester go to Otley.

Caldy v Sheffield Tigers

With seven games to go, all the signs continue to point to a top two finish for Caldy. Simon Verbicaks’ men have been in control of their own destiny since the embryonic stages of this season and as we begin the final two months of the campaign, the Wirral outfit are on course to achieve great things.

Currently, the men from Paton Fields sit top of the pile and head into this fixture with Sheffield Tigers having won their last 15 matches. In fact, Caldy are unbeaten in 22 games with their only loss this term coming on the opening day against Sedgley Park. The gap between themselves and third place is 17 points and a 12^th consecutive home win would see Caldy take yet another step towards the title.

Preston Grasshoppers took full advantage of their game in hand last week as they beat Leicester Lions, which meant Sheffield Tigers once again slipped to the bottom of this division. The Yorkshire side, who have won just one of their last 15 games, are 12 points from safety as things stand and they will know that they can’t afford to lose any further ground as they battle for safety.

It has been a tough ride for the Tigers since promotion last May, but they may only have their sights set on finishing in 14^th rather than concluding the season outside the bottom three. Following London Welsh’s demise, only two teams will be relegated from one of National Two North or South so a 14^th place finish could be enough to save Sheffield. They are only six points off that potential target and a shock result this weekend would put them right back in the survival mix.

Scunthorpe v Sale FC

A team battling alongside Sheffield Tigers for safety in National Two North this season are Scunthorpe. They, like Sheffield, were also promoted into this division last summer and now they have a fight on their hands to stay at this level for another campaign. The Lincolnshire side currently occupy 14^th place in table which maybe enough to save them, but the men from Heslam Park will have their sights set on finishing outside the bottom three this term.

As things stand, Scunthorpe are six points from safety and head into this fixture with Sale FC having won just one of their last seven matches. However, at home this season the Greens have looked strong and a sixth win in front of their own supporters could see them take a huge step towards moving out of the relegation places.

This time last year, it was Sale FC who were fighting to stay in this division. With seven games to go, the Manchester-based club were staring at an immediate relegation back down to National Three, but they were able to turn their fortunes around and have done so in a remarkable fashion.

At the start of this season, no one would have thought Jonathan Keep’s side would be in the position they find themselves now. As things stand, Sale FC currently sit second in the table and are 16 points clear of third placed Leicester Lions. It is safe to say that Sale are looking comfortable at the minute and that is down to a run of nine straight wins. They will feel confident that they can stretch their superb run this weekend as they look to continue their phenomenal campaign.

Sedgley Park v Leicester Lions

For both Sedgley Park and Leicester Lions, their campaigns have disappointingly fizzled out as we begin the penultimate month of the season. Both clubs would certainly have harboured ambitions of finishing in the top two, but a few bad results in 2017 have ended their promotion hopes for another season and now they will be focused on finishing as the ‘best of the rest.’

Hosts Sedgley Park currently lie in fourth place and three wins as well as three defeats since the turn of the year is the reason why Dean Schofield’s side are no longer battling for a shot at National One. Instead, their aim will now be to leapfrog Leicester Lions this Saturday and a third straight victory would be enough to take Sedge back into the bronze medal position.

Last season, Leicester Lions had a superb year finishing in third place after battling against relegation in the 2014/15 campaign. Andy Key’s side are on course to match their achievements of 11 months ago, but the Midlands side will know it could have been so much better for them.

Defeats to Stourbridge, Sale FC and most recently against Preston Grasshoppers ended their aims of a top two finish this term and now the Lions will be keen to hold on to third spot.  Leicester have only lost three of their last 11 matches which highlights how well the top two sides have performed this term and now the men from Westleigh Park will keen to bounce back from last Saturday’s disappointing result in Lancashire by securing a win in Manchester tomorrow.

Chester v Stourbridge

2017 has delivered contrasting fortunes for Chester and Stourbridge thus far. Chester ended last year without a win in five matches, which had seen them slip into the mid-table positions in this division after a positive start to the campaign.

However, six wins from seven games since the turn of the year has reignited the Cheshire sides’ term and now a top five finish is a realistic aim for Nick Joseph’s men. A season of inconsistencies for Chester now looks like it is over, and spirits will be high at Hare Lane tomorrow as they welcome a Stourbridge side which seems to be bereft of any confidence at present.

After being in the mix for a top two-spot at the end of 2016, Stour’s season has fallen apart in the first two months of this year. Neil Mitchell’s side had their 100 per cent home record ended by Sale FC and head to Cheshire this weekend having lost their last four matches.

Following such a dismal February for the Midlands side, they now find themselves sixth in the table, but they are only a point behind Chester. It is clear that Stour have the ability to recover from this slump and they will be eager to end a season which held so much promise in a positive fashion.

Hinckley v Tynedale

It has been an excellent season for Hinckley. The side promoted via the National Three North play-off last May have enjoyed great success during their time at this level and it is all but confirmed that Chris Campbell’s men will be plying their trade in National Two North next season.

A flurry of six straight wins between October and November has played a major part in Hinckley avoiding any sort of relegation battle and the Midlands side will now be focused on finishing as a high as they can in this division. They currently occupy ninth place in the table and head into this fixture with Tynedale having won their last two matches at Leicester Road. Can they make it three in a row this weekend?

Before last Saturday, Tynedale were on a six game winning streak away from home. They travelled to Wharfedale looking to extend that run but they were outplayed in Yorkshire as their sequence of victories came to an end.

On the whole, their performances on the road this season have been impressive and that is a major factor in why Tyne currently find themselves in the top seven of this division. The north-east side are slowly building their way back towards National One and this campaign has certainly been a positive one for Scott Lawson’s men. They will now be itching to bounce back from last Saturday’s defeat as they look to return to winning ways when they travel to Leicestershire tomorrow.

Otley v South Leicester

Otley welcome South Leicester to Cross Green this Saturday looking to continue their impressive home form this season. The Yorkshire side have been excellent in front of their own supporters and their performances on their own turf is the main reason why they currently sit 10^th in the table as we begin the penultimate month of the term.

Nine of Otley’s 10 wins this season have come on their own patch and the contrast between their results at Cross Green and their results away from home is both remarkable and unexplainable. Otley parted ways with Head Coach Mark Luffman at the beginning of last month and now the Yorkshire outfit will be aiming to finish a tough season on a positive note starting with this weekend against South.

South Leicester travel to Otley knowing they will be playing National Two North rugby next season. It is not mathematically confirmed that the Midlands side will be in this division for the 2017/18 campaign, but it is more than likely that they will be plying their trade at this level after a brilliant term this year.

After dicing with danger last season, South have taken the next step forward and now they have their sights set on a top half finish. The men from Welford Road are eighth in the table and arrested a mini blip with victory over Preston Grasshoppers last time out. South have won just 10 games this term which is the lowest in the top half, but they won’t be too worried by that as they go in search of back to back wins this weekend.

Wharfedale v Harrogate

Wharfedale and Harrogate are two sides which seem to have embarked on the same journey so far this season. Both teams began this campaign poorly and as a result they languished in the bottom three, but since the turn of the year, both clubs have revived their campaigns and are now moving themselves away from danger.

For Wharfedale, it has been all about their home form. Dale welcome Harrogate to the Avenue this weekend having won their last six matches on their own turf which has helped guide them out of the bottom three and up to 11^th in the table. They are now 10 points clear of the relegation places and another victory in front of their own supporters tomorrow would certainly put James Doherty’s side in a great position to avoid the drop.

t will be a difficult task for Harrogate this weekend as all eight of Wharfedale’s victories this term have come at home, but ‘Gate take the short trip to Skipton in relatively high spirits after an excellent 2017.

The men from Rudding Lane have won four of their last seven matches, which has lifted them up to 12^th in the league standings. David Doherty’s men are only three points behind Wharfedale and a third away triumph of the campaign would see them move further away from the danger zone at this crucial stage in the season.

Preston Grasshoppers v Luctonians

Preston Grasshoppers handed themselves a lifeline last Saturday. A superb performance against Leicester Lions secured only their fifth win of the campaign and after capitalising on their game in hand, Garth Dew’s side now have a glimmer of hope that they may well be able to pull off the great escape.

As things stand, Hoppers are 15^th in the table and 11 points behind 13^th placed Luctonians heading into this crunch match. Preston are also five points off Scunthorpe who currently occupy the final relegation space and that could be enough to save a side this season following London Welsh’s exit from the Championship. However, Dew and his team will be focused on claiming successive victories tomorrow because if they do, it puts them right back in the frame for survival.

The importance of this game for Luctonians is high too. The Herefordshire side have suffered a huge amount of injuries this term which has halted any aims they may have had of building on their impressive sixth placed finish of last season, but now all their efforts must go into keeping themselves out of the bottom three this time around.

Just one win in 12 games is also why the Lucts find themselves just six points clear of the relegation places, but victory in Lancashire this weekend could well be a defining moment in what has been a difficult season for Alex Davidson’s side. The men from Mortimer Park have won just twice away from home this term and third triumph would see them continue to distance themselves from danger.