Manager Ian Street asks for response from 1874 Northwich players ahead of clash with Maine Road

They start tonight’s meeting with Maine Road sat fourth in the table, eight points adrift of leaders Atherton Collieries with a dozen games to play.

A 1-0 defeat to the pacesetters last time out put a dent in their promotion hopes.

“I don’t think it’s over, now it’s their turn to prove they feel the same,” said Street of his side.

“It’s true that we need Colls to slip up, but we have to keep doing the business so we’re in a position to take advantage if that happens.

“If they keep on winning between now and the end of the season, then you just have to doff your cap.

“But things can change quickly.”

He admitted it had not been ideal to have more than a week to stew on losing such an important match.

However a team meeting after training on Saturday has left him feeling optimistic again.

“Given a choice we would have wanted to get back out on the pitch quickly, preferably last Tuesday,” he said.

“As a player, you want to get something like that out of your system straight away.

“We have plenty to play for; there’s 12 games left, and we can’t afford to think ‘Oh well, Colls have won it’ and start freewheeling towards the end of the season.

“We’re still in a good position just yet.”

A meeting with Maine Road rarely goes smoothly, as proven by substitute Christy O’Brien’s late leveller during a 1-1 draw in January.

Chris Hirst’s men beat Squires Gate in their next game, but have lost all four North West Counties League matches during February.

They did win last season’s corresponding fixture in Winsford though.

Street said: “They do seem to raise their game when they play us.

“I’m not sure why, perhaps it’s the connection we have with a few of their former players in our team.

“It’s something we’ll be wary of, although my main concern is to see a determination and aggression that was missing from our performance against Colls.

“I need to see a response, and that we’ve put that behind us.”