Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley wants another good month as they prepare for Saturday’s home game with Ashton United.

Moors had a great September in which they picked up ten points and climbed to fourth in the table, just three points behind second placed Kidderminster, and looking forward to games against Brackley, Curzon Ashton and York after today.

But Ainsley, who earned the league’s Manager of the Month award for the team’s achievement, knows that victory over Ashton today is far from straightforward.

“They’ve hit a bit of form recently,” he said. “They’ve only lost two out of the last eight, so they’re a banana skin.

“Some people look at the league table, see us 4th and Ashton in the bottom half of the table and expect us to win, but it’s nowhere near as clear cut as that.

“We’ve been in these situations before, in which we’ve had some good performances and then slipped up – our FA Cup defeat at Witton proves that.

“The players have to maintain their focus and make sure that they have the right attitude. Hopefully the enforced break hasn’t had a detrimental effect on us.

“I want the players to continue the league form we had in September. We have some huge matches coming up in October.”

Midfielder Rob Ramshaw, who picked up a back injury at Hereford in Moors’ last game, is doubtful, while Ryan Hall has recovered from injury.

Ashton United, meanwhile, are 14th in the table, and have picked up eight of their thirteen points away from home this season. They were promoted from the EvoStik last season.

In the EvoStik Premier, South Shields are at Hednesford, and Whitby go to Marine.