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Garforth Town: We won’t be taking anything for granted – Nichol
FOCUS: Garforth Town boss Steve Nichol is expecting a tough test against Ossett Albion.
Garforth Town could reclaim their play-off place tonight but Miners boss Steve Nichol is refusing to label the visit of Ossett Albion as a home banker.
Both sides look set for a return to action for the first time since January this evening and a home win could put Garforth fifth in the Evo-Stik League’s First Division North.
Town also sit 14 places and 25 points above their third-bottom opponents but Nichol is refusing to predict a routine home win.
Difficult
“Every match is difficult at this point in the season as every team has something different to play for,” said Nichol.
“They will be wanting to avoid relegation and then there are other teams wanting to push on and into the play-offs and that makes every game very, very tough.
“Lancaster City, who are up there, also slipped up against them and so they have showed that they can get results against the best teams in this league and we can’t underestimate them.
“The people who do say it’s a home banker and are just the people that put that added pressure on us.”
Garforth will be without long-term injury absentees Chris Howarth, Adam Priestley and Rob Pacey tonight but Nichol says his side are in excellent fettle and that the recent lay-off has actually been a help.
The young manager says the Miners have enjoyed a “mini pre-season” involving circuit training, indoor training and action on the artificial turf and the Town boss is excited about getting back on track.
“The weather is supposed to be good, we have trained well the last two weeks and we are looking forward to getting back,” said Nichol.
“We have trained very hard – three times a week – and we have just replicated matches with training. We have had a mini pre-season and that should help us push forwards in the remaining months of the campaign.”
The campaign could yet finish with promotion to the Evo-Stik Premier and Nichol sees no reason why that should not be the case though the manager is refusing to contemplate what going up would actually mean.
“I think the team is good enough to go up,” he said.
“We had a bad start to the season, we recovered and got ourselves in the play-offs and while we have fallen out with recent defeats to the top two in Curzon Ashton and Fylde, the ambition is to get back in there.
“There are plenty of games left for us to do that.”
Asked how it would feel to take Garforth into the Evo-Stik Premier, Nichol replied: “I don’t know really and you don’t really think about the emotions of it when you are mid-way through the season.
“I am just taking it each game at a time and we know what we want to do.”
Key also to Garforth’s play-off prospects could be tonight’s clash between hosts Ossett Town and high-flying Farsley FC.
Farsley are currently one place and one point above Garforth and with a game in hand.
Town, meanwhile, now under the care of Eric Gilchrist, are 14th.
Harrogate Railway visit fellow strugglers Radcliffe Borough tonight while Frickley Athletic will hope to finally stage their eagerly-awaited Doodson Sport Cup quarter-final clash with FC United.
One game takes place in the NCE League with Nostell Miners Welfare entertaining fellow mid-table side Armthorpe Welfare in the Premier.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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