Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley says that his team has a crucial week ahead of them as they try to strengthen their hold on a play off place.

Moors face three games in the next week which will go a long way to establishing whether they will be part of the play off battle at the end of April.

Moors go into the game in eighth place in the table, level on points with Gateshead, but with a slightly worse goal difference.

Brackley, who are fifth and with the best defence in the division, visit the Brewery Field on Saturday, with Altrincham coming along for their re-arranged game on Tuesday. Moors then head over to Lancashire in order to play Southport next Saturday.

“This will be a big week for us,” said Ainsley. “We are playing two teams who are above us in the table, and another which is in the top half and with hopes of getting into the play offs.

“But we have picked up seven points out of the last nine and have got ourselves almost into the play off places. If we had scored just two more goals, then we would have been.

“We know plenty about Brackley, from last season and the play offs of course. They’re a team which is always up there, and always seem to have a settled squad with a good solid bunch of players.

“We have to make sure that the run continues this afternoon. We must be a tough nut to crack and everybody must perform for the full ninety minutes.

“We are going well – there will be teams below us who would like to be in our boots.”

Top scorer Glen Taylor, who completed a magnificent century of goals last weekend at Gloucester, is struggling with a virus, and he is a big doubt for today’s game, so Adam Boyes is likely to take his place. Full back Tyler Forbes is also feeling under the weather.

“I’ve got no problems with putting Adam up front, because when Glen was injured earlier in the season, Adam played up there and did well – he scored a few goals as well,” said Ainsley.

Brackley are fifth in the table, having won six times away from home this season. One of their strengths is their defence – they have conceded just eleven goals on their travels this season.

In the BetVictor North West League, Marske United travel to Colne, looking for their first win in three league games. Manager Carl Jarrett will have a full squad to choose from and said; “We need to beat teams in the bottom half of the table – we seem to turn it on against the leading teams, and not those below halfway.” In the same league, Dunston are at home to Mossley.

In the Premier Division, leaders South Shields are at home to fifth placed Nantwich, while Morpeth go to Atherton Collieries and Whitby are at Mickleover Sports.