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This preview of tomorrow's games in the National North League was written by Richard Dorman from the National League.
There’s plenty on the line in the Enterprise National League North this weekend… time is running out and opportunities for important points are becoming more and more limited!
Some clubs are looking up, some are looking down… and handful know that a particularly brilliant run could pull them into the mix, or a desolate streak could drag them into a battle! So whether it’s the title race, the battle to stay in the play-off places or the scrap at the bottom, there are storylines all across Saturday’s fixture list.
The stand-out game may well be at Hereford, where the 21st-placed side host leaders South Shields. A sizeable gap on paper, but Hereford have picked up 10 points in four games and could climb out of the drop-zone for the first time since December if they can overturn the pace-setters.
Second-placed AFC Fylde are on home soil as they take on King’s Lynn Town. Fylde are right in the thick of the promotion picture and will be aiming to keep the pressure on, but King’s Lynn Town have shown their capabilities on the road this season; they picked up a creditable point at Scarborough in midweek.
Merthyr Town sit third going into the weekend and welcome Spennymoor Town. Despite a string of hit-and-miss results lately, the hosts remain very much part of the conversation at the top end, while Spennymoor are placed in mid-table and will be keen to prove they can disrupt one of the division’s best performers this season.
There’s another big game in the top seven picture at Kidderminster Town, where fourth plays 10th as Chester come to town. Harriers are well placed, but Chester are not so far away that they can’t still have designs on finishing the season strongly. Five wins from the last six outings has the Seals dreaming of a play-off campaign – only goal-difference keeps them out of the reckoning at present.
Scarborough Athletic against AFC Telford United looks one of the most finely-balanced fixtures of the day, with sixth taking on seventh. With so little between the sides, it could be a dress-rehearsal for a play-off meeting in a little over six-weeks’ time.
Macclesfield, in fifth, make the short hop to Curzon Ashton looking to strengthen their position in the play-off places. Curzon are down in 15th, winless in four, and almost equally far from both the play-offs and the relegation places as far as the points column is concerned.
Darlington are another side with reason to look upwards. They begin the weekend eighth and face bottom side Leamington, knowing a home win could help keep them firmly in the mix. For the Brakes, it is a first appearance in the dugout for new boss Scott Easterlow.
There’s a huge one at the foot of the table between Alfreton Town and Peterborough Sports. 22nd hosts 23rd, and while three points would be valuable at any stage of the season, both teams will sense a chance to deny their opponents some points too. Double the incentive.
Southport (16th) and Oxford City (20th) has both sides looking over their shoulder. The same goes for Bedford Town, who are 19th before taking on Radcliffe, with the visitors still sitting inside the top half and just goal-difference beneath the dotted line for play-off qualification.
Chorley and Buxton are separated by only three places and two points in the middle of the table; Marine’s meeting with Worksop Town also falls into that category of game where they both look set for another National League North season in 2026-27 – not that a big win wouldn’t change the feel of things!