With just eight games to go Stockton will be keen to banish any lingering relegation concerns when they entertain lowly Blaydon.

While bottom club Gateshead Fell’s mini-revival appears to be over for the moment, the sides just above them in the table will be only too well aware of their ability to pull rabbits out of relegation hats in the closing stages of a season.

Stockton go into today’s match holding a seven-point advantage over second-bottom Blaydon, but whilst there is then a 31-point gap down to the Fell, it was those sort of numbers which were overturned by Gateshead in the dying embers of the 2014 campaign, with Sunderland sucked through the trapdoor and into the second tier.

The big plus for the Teessiders is that they expect Keaton Jennings to be available again this week, and with skipper Kevin Ward returning the only negative note is that star all-rounder Richard Waite will sit this one out following a recurrence of his back injury.

The game also comes too soon for Blaydon’s Graeme Bridge, who had his finger pinned back in mid-June after a break and dislocation – his return to the side is planned for early August.

Despite their T20 win last Sunday, Chester-le-Street’s league form has been a concern of late, their inability to bowl sides out costing them their place as leaders following just one win in their last seven games.

Such was their form before that they are still only 15 points adrift of table-toppers South North, but a return to winning ways in the league is required to prevent the Bulls setting up a mind boggling tenth title win in 13 seasons.

The Cestrians welcome a resurgent Hetton Lyons to the Lane, their visitors recent six-game run, where just one defeat has been suffered, lifting them well clear of the relegation zone. With Shaun Birbeck and Jonny Malkin unavailable for the Lyons the return of Martin Pollard is welcome, while David Lowther earns a call-up to fill the other vacancy. Chester expect to be unchanged.

Leaders South North have a home game against South Shields, and while John Graham, Adam Heather and Michael Craigs are all on holiday, both Jimmy Miller and Jonny Craigs return and Marcus North is free from his Sky TV duties and replaces Phil Mustard in the starting line-up. The Shieldsmen show just one change with Connor Brydon in for Mark Appleton.

What next in the First Division? With all four leading teams beaten last weekend the race for the championship and promotion has been thrown wide open.

Such was the chaos caused by the amazing sequence of results, leaders Eppleton increased their lead to nine points, while another beaten side, Burnmoor, moved up one place to second.

But just 14 points now cover the top five, with Willington and Felling suddenly in with a real chance of glory following excellent runs. Willington are up to fifth after a seven-game unbeaten run, while Felling are one place and two points above them after going eight games without defeat.

Both have tough games today with Willington entertaining early season pacesetters Brandon, who have fallen away dramatically after failing to win any of their last six, and Felling going to Eppleton.

With Max Bailey missing Willington promote Andy Dickinson, while Brandon are back to full strength with the return of Mattie Cowling, Chris Peareth and Ryan Nicholson.