Last season we went from Pocklington, who we had never met before, to regular opponents Preston Grasshoppers. This season we go the other way from Vale of Lune, who have been the team’s most regular opponents (although not so often recently) to Alnwick, who have only been met once (in 1994) and that was at Mint Bridge.
Alnwick came up as Champions of the North One East league, and after a narrow away loss to Wirral and then a narrow home lost to Blaydon, (who had the previously put 92 points on Vale), last weekend they got their first win, against Wilmslow, who started with a narrow loss at home to Kirkby, and then a win against Vale. So a step up in quality this weekend.
With some tough game to come we need another good performance to build on the wins of the last two weekends.
TEAM : Again little change upfront, with Chris Downham returning at No.8 and Matthew Charters moving to the bench. A little more change behind the pack, no Dini Noyo this weekend, so we try yet another fullback, with last week’s Man of the Match Myles Harrop moving there, and his place on the wing taken by Nick Carlton. Danny Barker returns in place of Mark Carruthers in the centre. So Ben Dixon retains his place on the wing, but swaps across the field.
DIRECTIONS : If you are travelling there by car, the ground seems to be in a retail park. Coming from the South it is just after a roundabout with a Sainsbury store, and the turn into the ground is immediately after a Vauxhall Garage on the left. The Willowbarn Leisure Centre is on the opposite side of the road
There is a bus stop nearby, but I doubt that will interest anyone but me.
WEATHER : Cloudy but dry (according to the Met Office)