ALDERSHOT striker Danny Hylton is so desperate to face Middlesbrough on Saturday he spent yesterday morning helping clear snow from the League Two club's EBB Stadium pitch.

Hylton, who is Aldershot's leading scorer in this season's FA Cup with seven goals from three matches, is two-thirds of the way through a three-match suspension.

Provided tonight's League Two game with Northampton Town goes ahead, he will be available for Saturday's trip to the Riverside in the FA Cup fourth round.

However, if today's game falls foul of the weather, the 23-year-old will be suspended for the weekend trip to Middlesbrough.

As a result, Hylton joined a group of volunteers who cleared snow off the pitch at the EBB Stadium yesterday.

Tonight's game still hangs in the balance, but yesterday's efforts have enhanced the chance of the match taking place and therefore increased the likelihood of Hylton being available to face Boro.

Saturday's game will be the first competitive meeting between Middlesbrough and Aldershot, although Jack Charlton's second division champions travelled to the Recreation Ground in May 1975 to provide the opposition in a testimonial match for popular Shots defender Richard Walden.

Tony Mowbray is likely to make a number of changes this weekend as he juggles the FA Cup with the demands of a Championship programme that has seen Boro lose their last three matches.

Ishmael Miller is unavailable after damaging his ankle ligaments in the 2-1 defeat to Watford, and Mowbray has conceded the striker is likely to remain sidelined for at least another fortnight.

Meanwhile, yesterday's scheduled Premier League Under-21 fixture between Middlesbrough and Sunderland was postponed because of the weather.