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Ossett Town v Harrogate Railway: Sharpe looks for a lift against former club
DOUBLE TAKE: Phil Sharpe's Ossett Town have already beaten Harrogate Railway in the league this season and will be looking to complete the double when the sides meet at Ingfield.
Boss Phil Sharpe says there will be “no quarter given” as his Ossett Town side look to boot on up the Evo-Stik League First Division North table with victory against his former employers Harrogate Railway tonight (kick-off 7.45pm at Ingfield).
Sharpe spent two years at Station View from 2008 to 2010 before leaving for Ingfield and the 43-year-old has already returned to haunt the Starbeck outfit once – Town 3-2 winners in the reverse fixture in September.
Sharpe now awaits a Rail clash for the second time and is eyeing a similar conclusion – the Town boss joking that there is no room for sentiment bearing in mind he has had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus.
“I could be playing one of my old teams every week I have played for that many!” laughed Sharpe.
“But Harrogate Railway is a lovely club and it’s two friends of mine who are the manager and assistant manager there (Nige Danby and Mick Norbury).
“You obviously always want to do well against the teams you used to play for but more importantly they are down there with us in the table.
“As far as this game goes it’s all about the win and there’ll be no quarter given.”
Both sides currently find themselves in the wrong half of the table – Rail 17th in First Division North and Town 16th – though both had positive results at the weekend.
Rail enjoyed a 2-0 success at home to Salford City while Town secured a 1-1 draw at Bamber Bridge.
Sharpe’s men also have five games in hand and the boss hopes that these matches can lift his side up the table.
“The remit at the start of the season was to stay out of trouble but obviously you want to do as well as you can and then you just see where that takes you,” he said.
“With the number of games in hand we have got we are more than capable of getting a top-half finish and if you can get that little bit of luck and momentum then who knows?
“But there’s a lot that also needs sorting out off the pitch as we have just got a new committee and a new ground.
“We need to start getting some wins on the board.”
Sharpe hopes to welcome back Luke Richardson from illness tonight and while Daniel Clapham and Danny Frost (both injured) and suspended Neil Towler remain sidelined, Sharpe admits the next month will be crucial.
“We’re playing twice a week for the next four weeks now which doesn’t do us any favours as we’ve still got players out and we have only got a small squad,” he said. “But we need to try and get a bit of momentum.”
Elsewhere this evening, Ossett Albion –- currently third-bottom –visit a Radcliffe Borough side just four points and two places above them in the table.
In the NCE League, Brighouse Town host third-placed Bridlington Town in the Premier with Nostell Miners Welfare off to Scarborough Athletic.
In Division One, Brendan Ormsby’s title-chasing Ponetfract Collieries will look to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat at home to Dinnington Town when they entertain mid-table Teversal.
Two League Cup games are also staged – Thackley at home to Retford United in a third-round clash while AFC Emley travel to Askern Villa in round two.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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