Witton v Whitby: preview (From Northwich Guardian)

Witton Albion seek to record back-to-back Premier Division wins when Whitby Town visit

11:23am Friday 19th October 2012 in News By Andrew Simpson, Senior Sports Writer

Witton Albion v Whitby Town (Kick off 3pm)
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Premier Division
Venue Help for Heroes Stadium
Referee Paul Marsden (Leyland)
Admission Adults £9, Concessions (NUS/ OAP) £6, U15s £3, Armed Forces personnel Free (on production of valid ID)
Odds (bet365) Witton 8/11, Draw 11/4, Whitby 11/4
Previous meeting Witton 0 Whitby 0 (Northern Premier League Premier Division, March 25 2009)

Witton (from) Cooper (GK), Booth, Clayton, Gardner, Glover, Ben Harrison, Wood, Andrews, Cross, Fallon, Hancock, Jamie Harrison, Sheehan, Foster, Moseley, Ormesher, Stott, Tuck
Doubtful Ben Harrison (neck)
Injured Connors (hamstring), Shaw (match fitness)
Suspended none
Disciplinary (up to end of September) Y12 R0
Top scorer Ashley Stott (6)
Title odds (Bet Victor) 50/1
Form (Past six home in league) W L W L W W
Record (home) P6 W3 D1 L2 F7 A7 Pts10
Record (overall) Pos5 P12 W6 D3 L3 F17 A16 Pts21

Whitby (from) Liversedge (GK), Campbell (GK), Burgess, Corker, Hassan, James, Robinson, White, Henry, McTiernan, Portas, Tait, Williams, Armstrong, Mulligan, Snaith
Doubtful none
Injured none
Suspended none
Disciplinary (up to end of September) Y16 R0
Top scorer Nathan Mulligan (12)
Title odds (SKY Bet) 500/1
Form (Past six away in league) W D L L L
Record (away) P5 W1 D1 L3 F8 A10 Pts4
Record (overall) Pos19 P11 W2 D2 L7 F13 A18 Pts8

Match pointers
WITTON will be desperate to halt a stop-start sequence by winning back-to-back Premier Division matches.

Brian Pritchard’s men conquered Marine in midweek, but have still only scored seven league goals in front of their own fans to date this season.

In fact, only matches involving Ilkeston and Rushall Olympic have a lower total goals average this term than those in which Albion have taken part.

They have though won both games on home turf against teams from the table’s bottom half.

Pritchard will wait until the last possible moment to check on Ben Harrison’s health after the defender sat out Tuesday’s 2-0 win with a neck injury.

One or two others with knocks are due late fitness tests as well.

Visitors Whitby have won on only one of their past seven visits to Northwich, although they did send down Witton in 2009 after a 1-0 win at The Turnbull Ground.

Darren Williams’ men have lost only twice in their past 10 league and cup games too, one of those against higher-ranked Stalybridge Celtic in the FA Cup.

Top scorer Nathan Mulligan added to his growing goals tally in a midweek win at in-form Worksop Town, leaving him with 12 for the term in all competitions.

The Seasiders have scored in every away game too, although three of four visits to opponents in the table’s top half have ended in defeat.