Why should I watch..? 

To see how both teams respond to disappointing defeats on home turf last time out. 

Witton lost 3-0 on Tuesday when Buxton visited Wincham Park, halting a sequence of three successive wins – their longest in the Northern Premier League’s top-flight this season – in the process. 

Scarborough succumbed to Mickleover  last Saturday and have slipped out of the promotion play-offs places as a result. 

Their form generally is a concern after only winning one of the past five league games, while they have collected maximum points only once on their travels since a victory at Gainsborough in October. 

Albion will play seven of their remaining 11 matches in Northwich and so will be desperate to improve on the worst home record in the Premier Division outside of the table’s bottom two. 

What they’ve said 

“My message to the players is to keep that passion and desire with which they approach every game. 

“There is still a will to win and we want to pick up as many points as we can between now and the end of the season." 

Carl Macauley, Witton Albion manager 

"We need to move the ball quicker than we have been doing. 

“Perhaps we overelaborated at times last week when two or three fewer passes would have given us a better chance of hurting the opposition. 

“Witton are a good side; they have some good players and I expect they’ll make it tough for us.” 

Steve Kittrick, Scarborough Athletic manager 

Numbers game 

Witton’s home form remains a concern and they have scored just 13 goals at Wincham Park in the Northern Premier League this season.

It’s an important afternoon for… 

Albion’s defence 

Only the Premier Division’s leading two teams, Warrington and Farsley Celtic, have scored more goals away from home than Boro. 

Witton’s defensive record, which includes a total of 14 clean-sheets, has been impressive though and the hosts are boosted by the return of River Humphreys. 

That may persuade Carl Macauley to play with three central defenders, allowing Danny McKenna – standing in for Matty Devine – more freedom to attack on the left flank than he had against Buxton in midweek as a full-back in a back-four. 

Witton team news 

River Humphreys, ruled out by work commitments from a midweek defeat against Buxton, is available. 

However full-back Matty Devine, prevented by a hamstring injury from facing the Bucks, serves a one-match suspension as punishment for his dismissal during last weekend’s victory at Farsley Celtic. 

Chris Noone (knee) and Nick Ryan (leg) are long-term absentees, while Will Booth is waiting on the results of a scan to discover the extent of damage to his left knee. 

Form guide (past six league games) 

Witton L W W W L W 

Scarborough L D W L D W   

Disciplinary  

Witton Y59 R3 

Scarborough Y67 R3 

This season’s previous meeting 

 
From the archive… 

Remember Scarborough’s previous visit to play a Northern Premier League fixture in March 2016? 

There was nothing to choose between the teams until Danny Andrews converted a penalty from the final kick of the contest following a foul by Niall Flint on Anthony Gardner. 

It ended a five-match sequence without a victory for Carl Macauley’s men, who completed a double over Boro when they prevailed 3-2 in the return the following month. 

The Guardian was there, and this is what we wrote afterwards:

Odds (Betfred) 

Witton 9/5 

Draw 3/1 

Scarborough Evens 

Essential information 

When Saturday, March 2 2019 

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