Morpeth Town Craig Lynch boss looks ahead to home game against Atherton Collieries

The Highwaymen square up to the Colls for the second time in 33 days, with this fixture having been rearranged following a December date that was snowed off.

Town put in a well-below par display at the Skuna Stadium in February as they trailed 4-1 at one point before reducing the deficit to make the final score 4-3 to the relegation-haunted Atherton.

Lynch is hopeful his side will rely on a surface much better suited to playing football on the deck, although he is wary of the threat posed by a Colls side fighting for their NPL Premier Division lives.

“I’m looking forward to the game on Saturday,” commented Lynch, whose side haven’t played in 12 days after Saturday’s trip to Radcliffe was postponed 20 minutes before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch.

“It was a close game in the end against Atherton away a month ago, where I felt we didn’t do ourselves justice.

“It’s a totally different playing surface to what it was that day, but Atherton have given Hyde United (in the play-off chase) and Radcliffe (top of the league and set to win the title) two close games in recent weeks.

“They’re playing for their place in the league so we know it’s going to be a tough game.

“It’s the start of two back-to-back home games for us so hopefully we can pick up points so that we can keep looking upwards in the league.”

Lynch’s side currently reside in mid-table in the division following four damaging defeats on the bounce, and a sequence of results that saw them concede 19 goals in five games.

But that was halted with an impressive 3-0 win over FC United, their seventh home league success of the campaign.

With just four defeats in 15 home league matches, Lynch will be eager for his side to build on that when Atherton come to town.

The club has announced that striker Connor Thomson’s loan deal with Ashington has been extended to the end of the season.