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Vanarama National League North Preview

Posted by Kelly Gilchrist
Posted on Thu 16 Feb 2017
Posted in First Team

Fc Halifax Town will make the long trip down south to Worcester in high spirits, hoping to keep their fine run of form going. The Shaymen have grabbed five wins out of their last six games, drawing the other, a run of results that have fired them back into the play-off spots.

Judging by Worcester Cityโ€™s form, Billy Heathโ€™s men are well within their rights to be optimistic. The Worcestershire side have not won a game since November and find themselves without a manager following the resignation of Carl Heeley.

The Shaymen faithful may remember the striker Lee Hughes from the previous game at the MBi Shay Stadium, after his rather aggressive showing saw him see straight red for elbowing defender Daniel Hone. Regardless of the veteran strikerโ€™s antics that day, he was Worcesterโ€™s top scorer for the season. The 40-year old netted 13 times in the league for The Blues but has recently left the club to join fellow relegation strugglers.

Halifax have moved from strength to strength in the past few weeks and it would appear the smart money would be on the side from West Yorkshire toppling the side missing their manager and their top scorer.

Elsewhere in the Vanarama National League North there is a tasty clash between second placed Kidderminster Harriers and fourth placed Chorley.

It is the latter who will play host to this play-off position tie and if form is anything to go by they face a challenge of mammoth proportions. Kidderminster have only lost two of their last 14 games, picking up 11 wins in the process. A run of form which has seen them climb the table and be just seven points behind leaders AFC Fylde with a game in hand.

Chorley however have been rather stop start. The Magpies have only won four of their last ten games, a run of form you wouldnโ€™t expect to see from a play-off chasing side. The Lancashire club may have an unwelcome talent for getting draws as well, picking up ten in the league so far, the joint highest and the most out of any team in the top half of the table.

Another promotion chasing side that will be in action is Stockport County. James Gannonโ€™s side will welcome 14th placed FC United of Manchester, who may believe this could be the perfect time to spring a surprise.

Stockport have stuttered in the league as of late. Although the side are unbeaten in 11 games, they have been struggling to get many wins. Six of the 11 have been draws and this may be enough for FC United to believe they can at least a point from this game. Both sides have an out and out hitman, the home side will be relying on former Fylde man Danny Lloyd, while FC United with be hoping Jason Gilchrist can build on his 10 league goals.

From promotion chasing teams, to sides that have more or less accepted relegation. Altrincham will be playing Harrogate Town with the bottom placed side already 19 points adrift from safety, only picking up nine points all season and not winning a single game at home.

Harrogate are comfortably sitting in ninth place just six points away from the play-off spots and it would seem almost an inevitability that they will claim all three points when they travel to the J Davidson Stadium.

Read more posts by Kelly Gilchrist

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