Sale FC closing in on a top two spot

Just under a year ago, Sale FC were battling to avoid relegation from National Two North, but if you fast-forward 12 months, the Manchester-based club have turned their fortunes and ambitions around.

Jonathan Keep’s side just about kept themselves in this division last April, but no-one would’ve predicated this transformation. This weekend, Sale can secure their place in the top two of this division which gives them a chance to gain promotion into the third tier of English rugby.

In their way this Saturday are third placed Sedgley Park who are in fine form and they will be keen to delay the confirmation that Sale will finish in the top two this term for another week. Above Sale in the table are Caldy who remain on course for the league title and they look unstoppable as we approach the final month of the season.

Down at the other end of the division, it is last chance saloon for Preston Grasshoppers when they host Stourbridge, while Sheffield Tigers and Scunthorpe will be desperate to claim results this Saturday otherwise their chances of survival will look almost impossible.

Caldy v Leicester Lions

Top of the table Caldy enter this final week in March guaranteed of a place in the top two come the end of the season. The Wirral side are currently 11 points clear at the summit with five games left of the campaign and they know they are firmly on course to lift the National Two North title this term.

At the start of the year, I don’t even think Caldy expected to be in this position, but they fully deserve to be challenging for a spot in National One after the season they have had. They prepare to welcome Leicester Lions to Paton Fields tomorrow having won their last 17 games and they are also unbeaten in 24 matches. Added to that, Simon Verbickas’ men have won all 12 of their home fixtures this season and another victory in Cheshire this weekend would see them move closer to glory.

It has been a difficult few weeks for Leicester Lions. Defeats to Sale FC and Sedgley Park in their last four games has ended their hopes of a top two finish and last night it was announced that Head Coach Andy Key will be swapping the Lions for the Titans next season as he has reportedly agreed to join Championship side Rotherham.

Key has helped Leicester turn their fortunes around over the last couple of seasons and his immediate aim will be to guide the Lions to a strong finish as we approach the final month of the campaign. The men from Westleigh Park currently sit fourth in the table, but they are only two points behind third placed Sedgley Park. The Lions travel to the Wirral tomorrow having not won away from home for just under two months so they’ll be hoping to end March on a high.

Sedgley Park v Sale FC

Sale FC travel to Sedgley Park tomorrow aiming to confirm their place in the top two of National Two North. With five games to go, the men from Heywood Road are currently second in the table and 18 points clear of Sedge so a win of any kind for Jonathan Keep’s men and a draw or defeat for Leicester Lions away at Caldy would see Sale seal a top two finish in what has been a remarkable season for the Manchester club.

12 months ago, they were battling to survive in this division but no-one predicated their transformation. Sale have won 22 of their 25 matches this term - which is nearly double the amount of victories they accumulated in whole of the last campaign – and they take the short trip to Sedge currently on an 11 match winning streak. This will be a tough test for Sale, but with confidence flowing through their veins, they have a strong chance of clinching a place in the top two this weekend.

Sale will be fully aware that this won’t be an easy game tomorrow. Third placed Sedgley Park may well be 18 points behind their visitors, but they are determined to end the season as strongly as possible. Dean Schofield’s side harboured ambitions of reaching the top two for a second consecutive year, but with that aspiration all but over, the men from Park Lane are aiming to finish with a flurry.

Sedge welcome Sale having won their last four games which is actually their best run of form since September which tells you how inconsistent the Manchester-based side has been throughout this campaign. This is Sedge’s penultimate home game of the campaign and they have only lost once at Park Lane all season long so they’ll be hoping that that record stays intact after the visit of Sale this weekend.

Chester v Harrogate

You have got to applaud Chester. After a patchy first-half of the season, the Cheshire side looked on course for another frustrating campaign, but the men from Hare Lane have turned their fortunes around in some style to transform a mediocre term into a successful one. Since the beginning of 2017, Chester have won seven of their last nine games which has propelled them up to a well-deserved fifth place in the league standings.

Before this superb run of form, Nick Joseph’s men had won seven of their first 14 matches so he and the side will be delighted with their turnaround. However, they will want to bounce back this weekend after their defeat to Leicester Lions two weeks ago and Chester welcome Harrogate to Hare Lane having lost just one of their last five games on home soil.

The visitors Harrogate have seen their revival come to a grinding halt in recent weeks. After a run of four wins from five matches across January and February, the Yorkshire side have just lost their way slightly as they come into this fixture with Chester on the back of three straight defeats.

It has been a really tough year for David Doherty’s side, but despite fighting against relegation all term, they currently find themselves seven points clear of the drop with five games of the season remaining. ‘Gate certainly have their fate in their own hands and a third away win of the campaign could well be the victory that secures their status at this level for another year.

Tynedale v South Leicester

Tynedale will certainly have a top five finish in their sights after their recent run of form. The side relegated from National One in 2015 are slowly building their way back up to the third tier of English rugby and in the second-half of this season, we are beginning to see how strong a side Tyne really are.

Off the field problems affected the north-east side massively last year, but with everything now seemingly back on track at Corbridge, Scott Lawson’s men are putting in some excellent performances. Tyne host South Leicester this weekend having won six of their last seven games with their only defeat coming against league leaders Caldy at the start of February. Tyne are only five points behind Chester so a top five finish is certainly not out of the question.

A top eight finish will be on the minds of the South Leicester players and staff as we approach the final month of this season. The Midlands side have had a wonderful campaign considering they diced with danger throughout the whole of last year, but now, the men from Welford Road will be keen to end this term in the top-half of the division.

South are currently 11 points clear of ninth placed Hinckley and a run of three straight victories has helped them edge towards a top eight finish. Their recent form is exactly what they needed after just two wins in 2017 and the Midlands club will be aiming to extend their winning streak when they take the trip north this Saturday.

Preston Grasshoppers v Stourbridge

It really is a ‘must win’ game for Preston Grasshoppers this weekend when they host Stourbridge. The Lancashire side currently lie at the bottom of National Two North and they are 11 points from safety with five games remaining. Their fight against relegation has suffered major setbacks in recent weeks, but now Garth Dew’s side must turn in a performance tomorrow otherwise it is likely to be curtains for Hoppers.

Back to back defeats against rivals Luctonians and Sheffield Tigers has left Preston with an awful lot of work to do and it seems unlikely that they will be able to pull off a great escape. However, while it is still mathematically possible to stay up, Hoppers won’t give in. They welcome Stourbridge to Lightfoot Green aiming for their sixth victory of the campaign and they will be desperate to achieve that win this weekend.

They might not be as desperate for the points, but Stourbridge will be itching to return to winning ways this Saturday. The Midlands side are in danger of ending this season with a whimper as they head to Lightfoot Green tomorrow searching for their first victory in just over two months.

A season which held so much promise for Neil Mitchell’s men has turned sour over the last few weeks. Stourbridge have lost their last six matches which is their worst run of form for over three years and they will be eager to end this campaign in a positive fashion after slipping down to seventh in the table. Stour have won four times on the road this season and they’ll be keen to add to that tomorrow to stop the rot.

Hinckley v Luctonians

With five games of the season left to play, Hinckley have achieved what they set out to do the moment they were promoted into National Two North last summer. It is always tough for a new side making the next step up, but Chris Campbell and his team have done extremely well to avoid a relegation battle despite a slow start to the campaign.

One win in seven matches saw the men from Leicester Road sitting rock bottom of this division at the end of October, but a sequence of six straight wins has been a major factor in why Hinckley have been able to stay away from danger this term. They currently lie ninth in the table and host Luctonians this weekend aiming for their first win in March as they look to end this season in a positive fashion.

Luctonians may not have wanted the break to come last weekend. After victories over Otley and Preston Grasshoppers at the start of this month, the Lucts have guided themselves away from danger at just the right time and they’ll be hoping the momentum which they have generated will still be in full flow when they travel to the Midlands tomorrow.

As things stand, Alex Davidson’s men are 15 points clear of the bottom three with five matches to go so they are not out of the woods just yet, but they have put themselves in a great position to avoid the drop. Luctonians have actually won three of their last five matches and they will be keen to continue that positive form tomorrow as they aim for their third away victory of the campaign.

Otley v Sheffield Tigers

Otley welcome Sheffield Tigers to Cross Green for this all Yorkshire affair with the hosts looking to put an end to their recent bad run of form. All season, Otley have been inconsistent and they head into Round 26 having lost their last three matches which leaves them 10^th in the table and 15 points clear of the bottom three.

I don’t think Otley are in any danger of being dragged into a relegation battle this late on, but they will be keen to return to winning ways as soon as possible. The main positive of Otley’s season this year has been their home form. Nine of their 10 wins this term have come at Cross Green and they will fancy taking that tally into double figures this weekend against a side fighting for safety.

A win over relegation rivals Preston Grasshoppers before the break has given Sheffield Tigers a glimmer of hope that they can avoid an immediate return to National Three. Their best performance of the season two weeks ago means the Tigers are now nine points from safety with five games remaining, but they will be fully aware that they must continue to pick up points between now and the end of April.

Back to back wins is not out of the question this weekend for Sheffield. They take the short trip to Cross Green to face an Otley side that has lost the last three matches and a third away victory of the season for the Tigers would give them a great chance of avoiding relegation.

Scunthorpe v Wharfedale

Scunthorpe’s chances of beating the drop in National Two North this year are becoming slimmer as each game week passes by. The Lincolnshire side currently sit in the bottom three and are seven points from safety as we approach the final month of the campaign.

The Green welcome Wharfedale to Heslam Park this weekend having won just one of their last nine matches and they have also lost their last six games. It sounds obvious, but this is not the time for Scunthorpe to be going through such a wretched run of results and they will be desperate to put a stop to it tomorrow. A sixth home win of the season is a must for Scunthorpe otherwise their situation may become unrecoverable.

As for Wharfedale, they continue to move closer to safety in an injury hit season but it is their home form which is guiding them towards another campaign in National Two North. The side relegated from National One last April have won their last seven matches on their own patch which is the main reason why they currently lie 11^th in the table and 15 points clear of their opponents Scunthorpe.

Dale will be delighted with the way they have been able to dig themselves out of trouble, but they will be keen to start producing victories in their final three away fixtures of the season. James Doherty’s side have lost all 12 of their matches on the road this term which is the worst record in the division, but they may fancy their chances of ending that run this Saturday against a Scunthorpe side struggling for confidence.