Northwich Victoria v Micklever Sports (Kick off 7.45pm)
Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Premier Division

Venue Nantwich Town FC, Weaver Stadium, Water Lode, Nantwich, CW5 5BS
Referee Alan Clayton (Hyde)
Odds (bet365l) Vics ½, Draw 14/5, Mickleover 9/2
Previous meeting Vics 1 Mickleover 0 (January 22, 2011)

Vics (from) Hinchliffe (GK), Collins, Disney, Fitzpatrick, Kearney, Law, Smyth, Abbott, Armstrong, Field, Johnson, Riley, Short, Woolfe, Budrys, Clarke, Evans, Wade
Doubtful Budrys (thigh)
Injured none
Suspended none
Disciplinary (up to end March 2012) Y50 R5
Top scorer Wayne Riley (17)
Form (Past six home in league) W W W L D D
Record (Home) P15 W8 D4 L3 F24 A14 Pts28
Record (Overall) Pos2 P37 W24 D7 L6 F66 A35 Pts76 (Three points deducted)

Mickleover (from) Clark (GK), Dodsley (GK), Farthing, Grocott, Hoyle, McAughtrie, Ramsey-Dickson, Wood, Graves, Guy, Nwadike, Simpson, Smythe, Walshe, Ashton, Moon, Richie-Smith, Steadman
Doubtful McAughtrie (calf)
Injured O’Connell (ankle)
Suspended none
Disciplinary (up to end of March 2012) Y53 R6
Top scorer Karl Ashton (15)
Form (Past six away in league) L W W L L L
Record (Away) P16 W4 D4 L8 F24 A33 Pts16
Record (Overall) Pos19 P38 W10 D10 L18 F61 A76 Pts37 (Three points deducted)


Match Pointers
NORTHWICH Victoria can, even if temporarily, cut Cheshire neighbours Chester’s lead at the Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division summit to single figures with victory tonight, Thursday.

Vics have won five of their past six league encounters under Martin Foyle and Alan Wright, including a 1-0 success at lowly Chasetown on Tuesday

They also protect a perfect results sequence against Mickleover – three wins from as many meetings – as well as an unbeaten record against team’s from the table’s bottom half in home matches this term.

The co-management pair left out midfielder Tom Field 48 hours ago but, with places up for grabs in Bank Holiday Monday’s crunch clash with Chester, he will be desperate to stake a claim to play.

Tony Evans scored his first league goal of the campaign at the Scholars Ground, so should continue in attack.

Visitors Mickleover slipped into the bottom four after a 4-0 thrashing at FC United of Manchester at the weekend, the latest in a 15-matches sequence on the road when they have failed to shut out their hosts.

Defender Craig McAughtrie sat out Saturday’s encounter with a calf strain, so is a doubt to face Northwich.

Sports have won only once on their travels against hosts from the table’s top half, losing on six of their 10 trips to date.