Picture by @ctattersall_
After spending much of March on the road, Salford City play their last in a run of four away games when they travel to Scarborough Athletic today.
However the trip to Queensgate isn’t as straightforward as it might seem, with Scarborough sitting seventh in the table, just outside the play-off places, and after losing ground to Bamber Bridge last weekend The Seadogs wills be keen to make amendments.
It has been a tough 15 years or so for Scarborough, who have gone from one of the oldest football league clubs to a newly-formed fan-owned club after going into liquidation in 2007.
Any fans hoping to take a trip to Scarborough Fair and to make a day of it will have to put plans on hold with the club currently playing 16 miles down the road in Bridlington.
But the Seadogs still harbour ambitions to rise back to their former status.
After two promotions in their first six years, Scarborough are confident of a third, having finished seventh in the First Division South last season before being transferred to the First Division North, where they are currently four points off the play-offs.
Their life in this division didn’t start prettily after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Salford, who were also at the start of a new era under the Class of ’92, so today’s match-up will be a good measure to see just how far both clubs have come since the start of the season.
Having travelled over 300 miles come kick off on Saturday, it would be a perfect reward to make the final 100 miles back from Bridlington with the last three of a perfect 12 points from this run, and put Salford in the best position possible ahead of Darlington’s trip to Northwich Victoria on Tuesday to play that game in hand.
Scott Burton is available again for Salford after completing his suspension, but Paul Linwood will play his final game before beginning his break, while Sam Madeley (1) and Cavell Coo (2) still have games to serve.
Owen Roberts should also be fit again after missing out at Prescot through injury, so there is room for Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley to make some rotations after a tough run out on Tuesday.
Scarborough should have a fresher squad having not played in mid-week, which includes deadline day signing Dan Clayton from Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity.
Scarborough Athletic: Cracknell, Pecora, Skelton; Lisles, Plummer, Middleton, Lamplough, Foot, Ridley, Gardner, Wilkinson, Burgess; McCaffrey, Beadle, Winfarrah, Bennett, Metcalfe, Clayton, Murray, Bolder, Davison, Hughes, Kirk; Bradshaw, Blott, O’Malley, Corner.
Salford City: J Lynch, Fearon; Howson, Linwood, C Lynch, Roberts, Smalley, Williams; Burton, Chadwick, Dean, Dixon, Jarrett, Morning, Spencer, Stopforth; Hulme, Seddon, Webber.
