Why should I watch..? 

To see if Witton can follow a victory on home turf at home to Matlock last month with another when they return to Wincham Park following four successive away games. 

That narrow win against the Gladiators brought to an end a sequence of five games – four of them defeats – without a win on home turf. 

A reward for completing a double over back-markers North Ferriby United will almost certainly be to put further distance between themselves and the Northern Premier League top-flight's relegation zone. 

North Ferriby have won just two of the 29 Premier Division fixtures they have played, and a 2-0 defeat at home to Workington last weekend leaves them 20 points adrift of a position of safety. 

The Villagers have also kept only one clean-sheet on the road. 

What they’ve said 

"Our challenge is to continue to produce the level of performance that we have been doing. 

“If we do that, then we have enough quality in our side to win the game. 

“There are reminders every week in this division of what can happen if you let standards slip – look at Grantham, who beat South Shields in midweek – and that’s something we need to be wary of against North Ferriby.” 

Carl Macauley, Witton Albion manager 

“It’s another tough game for us.  

“I’ll go into it confidently though as I always do. 

“At some point it’s going to turn for us and, once we get it right and start firing on all cylinders, better results will follow.” 

Joe Lamplough, North Ferriby United manager 

Numbers game 

North Ferriby have conceded 19 goals in their past four away games, all of them defeats, since a 2-1 win at Grantham late in November 

It’s an important afternoon for… 

Witton’s entire side 

Albion know another three points at this stage is likely to put further distance between them and the drop zone. 

They’ll be conscious that they will be expected to beat opponents who have lost their past nine Northern Premier League matches and who they dispatched convincingly when the teams met for their first meeting of the season back in September. 

Witton team news 

Carl Macauley has reported a clean bill of health aside from long-term absentees Chris Noone (knee) and Nick Ryan (leg). 

That means captain Rob Hopley (hamstring) and wide-man Osebi Abadaki (groin) have recovered from slight muscle complaints that prevented them from taking part on Monday. 

River Humphreys returns in defence.   

North Ferriby team news 

The Villagers expect to have everybody available, including ex-manager Paul Foot who is in the squad as cover in defence. 

Form guide (past six league games) 

Witton L W L L W L 

North Ferriby L L L L L L

Disciplinary    

Witton Y51 R2 

North Ferriby Y58 R8   

This season’s previous meeting 

North Ferriby 0-4 Witton: match report 

 
From the archive… 

Remember when North Ferriby visited Wincham Park for a Northern Premier League fixture in February 2013? 

The Villagers had failed to win on any of their previous 10 visits for a league fixture, a run they halted by completing a double over Brian Pritchard’s promoted side.  

Both teams had taken a turn to lead before Ryan Kendall’s goal in added time before the interval established a 3-2 lead for the Hull-based outfit. 

They made sure of a victory when Gregg Anderson scored in the second-half. 

The Guardian was there, and this is how we reported it: Witton 2-4 North Ferriby: match report 

Odds (Bet Bright) 

Witton 1/9 

Draw 13/2 

North Ferriby 14/1  

Essential information 

When Saturday, February 16 

Kick-off 3pm                                           

Address Wincham Park, Chapel Street, Wincham, Northwich CW9 6DA 

Admission Adults £10, Concessions £7, Under 21s £5, Under 16s £2 

Parking Available for free at the ground