Spennymoor manager Jason Ainsley wants his players to bounce back in their home game against Hereford on Saturday.

Moors dropped out of the play off positions on goal difference last Saturday when they lost 4-1 at Altrincham, with Gateshead just above them. They are still only six points below third placed Boston with nine games remaining.

“We need to return to winning ways,” said Ainsley. “When we’ve lost games earlier in the season we’ve managed to bounce back straight away, so I want the players to prove that they’re a good side by doing so.

“We must stop the sloppy mistakes though, otherwise we won’t win. Individual errors cost us last week at Altrincham, and we must cut them out. I reckon that three of Altrincham’s four goals last week were down to individual mistakes.

“We had a very good spell for 20 minutes at Altrincham in the second half at 2-0 and Tyler Forbes scored, but then a mistake cost us the goal and we were up against it after that. Maybe too many players were complacent after our seven-game unbeaten run, so hopefully the defeat has given them a real wake up call. Altrincham will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

“We’ve watched Hereford in action when they had a good win at York recently, so we know that they’re a dangerous team, and they have players who will hurt us. Their results have improved recently.

“I’ve said it many times, that there are no easy games in this league, and our players need to be at their best to win matches.”

Defender James Curtis is definitely out because of suspension, while midfielder Jamie Chandler is still struggling with a knee injury and winger Ben McKenna has a deadleg.

Hereford have had a good run recently to lift them well away from the bottom four. As well as beating York City away by 4-1, they won 2-1 at Farsley last Saturday and then drew 0-0 at Kettering in midweek, after which manager Josh Gowling was very critical of the home side’s pitch.

In the BetVictor North West League, Marske go across to Runcorn Linnets in fifth place in the table, seven points ahead of Clitheroe in sixth after beating Pontefract in midweek.

In the same division, Dunston are at Widnes.

In the Premier Division, leaders South Shields have a big home game at home to second placed FC United of Manchester.

Whitby are at Radcliffe, and Morpeth are at Stalybridge.