WITTON Albion will be grateful to change focus from the FA Trophy, if only briefly, as they attempt to keep pace with their rivals for promotion from the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League’s Division One South.

Carl Macauley’s men have played only 13 games to date, and sit fifth in the table.

A long queue of teams has formed behind them.

They will be depleted by the absence of key personnel too for the visit of a Romulus side that won their first four games of the campaign.

However the Roms have collected maximum points on only three occasions since then.

Numbers game

Witton Albion continue to protect an unbeaten record in front of their own supporters this season, a sequence that stands at 10 games in all competitions.

Only table-topping Shaw Lane have scored more points on their travels in Division One South than Romulus – five of their seven league wins have been on the road.

Man to keep an eye on

Prince Haywood

Where Carl Macauley deploys the versatile midfielder will be fascinating.

He filled in a full-back last weekend in skipper Anthony Gardner’s absence, and stayed there even after Paul Williams left the field on a stretcher.

However the 24-year-old is the closest Witton have to a replacement for the latter’s strength in the tackle, and Ryan Hickman is an alternative at right back should Haywood move to the middle of the pitch – a position from which he delivered arguably his best performance of the campaign against Buxton in the FA Cup.

Albion team news

Captain Anthony Gardner (ankle) and Paul Williams (knee) are ruled out by injury, while Billy Reeves – who has also been battling a knee problem – has returned to Port Vale following the end of a loan spell.

Defender Anthony Brown is available again, but teenage midfielder Ronan Eves is away with Cheshire County FA’s youth team.

Most recent meeting

Romulus 1-1 Witton (NPL Division One South, September 10 2016)

Form (past six in league)

Witton W L W D W W

Romulus L W W D L D

Essential information

Address Witton Albion FC, NetDec Stadium, Chapel Street, Wincham, Northwich CW9 6DA

Kick off 3pm

Admission Adults £9, Concessions (OAP) £6, Students £4, Under 15s Free