Enterprise National League North: the weekend preview

NL North

1 hour ago

By Richard Dorman

The Enterprise National League North is back this Saturday with eight games on the card and plenty riding on them at both ends of the table, even with a handful of clubs away on FA Cup duty.

Just three points cover the top five, so there's little room for error for anyone with designs on top spot.

So what's in store on Saturday?

South Shields are top after a 3-1 win at Oxford City last weekend, with Toby Onanaye scoring twice, and that's three wins on the bounce. With Oxford City and Macclesfield both sitting this one out, a fourth straight win would open up a five-point lead, although Macclesfield will have a couple of games in hand. Standing in their way are Southport, second from bottom and without a win in five after a 2-1 home defeat to AFC Telford United.

Buxton are the form side giving chase. Three straight wins, including a 4-2 victory over Marine on Saturday, have lifted them to fifth, and nobody in the division has scored more than their 30 goals. They make the trip to the North Yorkshire coast to face Scarborough Athletic, who have lost their last two and sit 21st.

Hereford went into their midweek game with AFC Telford United top of the table, but lost that one 1-0 and then went down 3-0 to King's Lynn Town on Saturday. Two home defeats in four days have dropped them to fourth, and next up is a visit to Chorley, who were beaten 2-0 at Spennymoor last time out but had won three of their four games before that.

Speaking of which: King's Lynn Town bounced back in style at Edgar Street, Kwame Thomas scoring twice, just four days after a 5-0 defeat at Worksop. Now sixth, they host bottom side Spennymoor Town, whose 2-0 win over Chorley was only their second league win of the season.

Seventh hosts eighth at Keys Park, where a single point separates Hednesford Town and Morecambe. Hednesford have won four of their last five, including a 1-0 win at Chester on Saturday, while Morecambe arrive on a run of three straight wins and having conceded just 12 all season, a record bettered only by Oxford City, Macclesfield and Hereford.

Chester have alternated wins and defeats over their last four games, and that home loss to Hednesford came after Connor Murphy was sent off at the start of the second half. They travel to Brackley Town, who won 1-0 at Worksop last weekend and sit 16th.

Elsewhere, AFC Telford United are unbeaten in four, with wins at Hereford and Southport in the last week and a half, and host Spalding United, who ended a run of four without a win by beating Darlington 3-2. And it's a long trip from Tyneside to the South Wales valleys for Hebburn Town, who visit Merthyr Town with both sides winless in five. Merthyr have drawn seven times this season, more than anyone else in the division.

Saturday's Enterprise National League North fixtures (3pm)