Something For The Weekend: National League North

And as the temperatures gradually begin to rise, there are plenty of important matches scheduled in the Vanarama National League North.

We’ve picked out three games which involve either end of the table.

These are the ones we think are the most fascinating…..

North Ferriby United v Salford City

On paper, surely an away banker?

The teams are separated by almost the entire division and The Ammies are a massive 53 points better off than the Humbersiders.

However, Chris Bolder`s basement outfit will be significantly buoyed by last weekend`s shock 1-0 win at the Horsfall Stadium against play-off chasing Bradford Park Avenue – their first win since August 19th when they beat another promotion-chasing side, Blyth Spartans.

Salford were rained off last Saturday but could only draw with Ferriby`s victims Park Avenue at their own Peninsula Stadium last time out.

Ferriby need to win ALL their remaining games to have any chance of staying up.

That`s an almost impossible task, given they`ve only managed two wins to date, but they can severely bruise other teams on the way, so The Ammies will need to be alert to avoid a banana skin.

Chorley v Stockport County

This is a key game for both teams as they both chase a play-off place.

It`s almost a `six-pointer` for Jim Gannon`s County side as they have fallen off the pace following their Buildbase FA Trophy exploits.

They lost their last league game at Edgeley Park against in-form Nuneaton Town and need to get back on track before heading down to Northamptonshire for their Trophy Quarter-Final replay on Tuesday.

If the Hatters win on Saturday, they`ll be right back in the frame – defeat could leave them with a mountain to climb.

The Magpies are currently just three points behind the play-off places, but Matt Jansen`s men have hit a bit of an inconsistent patch which has seen them win just one of their last six matches, although only one of those were lost at struggling Gainsborough Trinity.

Spennymoor Town v Leamington

A win for Chorley and defeat for Spennymoor would see the Lancastrians move level on points with the north-east outfit, who currently occupy the final play-off spot.

And Moors host a Leamington side who may be fifteenth in the table but are only four points off the drop zone in a table which has really closed-up in recent weeks.

Now, only seven points separate a Southport side who were deep in trouble themselves until recently but are now in twelfth from twentieth-placed AFC Telford United.

Like Stockport, Spennymoor may have half an eye on Tuesday`s Trophy replay at the Brewery Field against National Leaguers Bromley, but they need to focus as they were beaten in their last league outing – 1-0 at home to Nuneaton.

The Brakes head north after back-to-back wins at Boston United and at home to Blyth Spartans lifted them up the table.

But it`s so tight down there that any slip ups would see Leamington desperately looking over their shoulders at the bottom three.