Spennymoor start an exhausting climax to the end of their league season when they go to Salford City on Saturday.

Their visit to the Peninsula Stadium is the first of 15 matches between now and the end of the league season on 28th April for Moors, with today’s game being the first of three games in six days. After today’s game, they go to Chorley on Tuesday night, and then host Leamington at the Brewery Field on Thursday. Ironically, they are without a game next Saturday because scheduled opponents Brackley are in Trophy semi-final action against Wealdstone.

Manager Jason Ainsley is doing his best to motivate his players after they tumbled out of the FA trophy in midweek at home to Bromley, courtesy of two sloppy goals “I was devastated for everyone concerned, because we went out not beaten by ourselves because of two mistakes,” he said.

“If we’d been beaten by a wonder strike then I would have put my hands up. For us to take a team like Bromley to two games without much being in either game, and then to come out disappointed, shows how far we’ve come as a club. It’s a learning curve for us, but we’ve still got a lot to play for.

“I told the players in the changing room that the season mustn’t fizzle out because we’ve put ourselves in a really good position. We’re the envy of a lot of clubs who would want to be in our position, but we’ve got a lot of hard work to do in the next seven or eight weeks. We need the players to be up for the fight to get into the play offs.

“We’ve got a good set of lads who were devastated by going out of the Trophy. Players don’t make mistakes on purpose, but we’ve got to start learning from making costly errors, because they’re turning draws into defeats and wins into draws.”

Even though they haven’t played a league game for nearly a month, Moors are seventh in the table, a point ahead of Southport with six games in hand, while opponents Salford were knocked off the table in midweek by Harrogate.

“This is a situation that suits us,” said Ainsley. “Nobody expects us to go there and win, so that will be a weight off our shoulders. We’ll be able to relax and play.

“Salford are a top side, and whoever finishes above them will win the league. However, we’ll be going there hoping to put the Bromley defeat behind us.”

Right back Kallum Griffiths is doubtful with a knee injury, but midfielder Jamie Chandler and recent signings Nathan Lowe and Greg Rutherford are added to the squad.