Evo-Stik Southern League

NORTH Leigh will have the services of Elliott Osborne-Ricketts for their two Easter holiday matches, even though the striker was sent off in the Division 1 South & West game at Wimborne last Saturday.

Osborne-Ricketts received his marching orders for two yellow cards, which means a one-match suspension.

This is likely to be for the match at Bishops Cleeve on April 14.

So Osborne-Rickets is free to play in tomorrow’s trip to Yate Town and Monday’s match at home to Thatcham Town, as North Leigh chase a play-off place.

Boss Mark Gee, whose team need to close a seven-point gap to get into a play-off place, feels that Hungerford Town are the most vulnerable of the teams above them.

“They are eight points clear of us, but we have a game in hand and are also due to play them,” said Gee.

“Indeed, all the contenders have a tough run of games, so we’ve still got a chance.”

Gee has named an unchanged squad to face Yate, who have put a good run together in recent weeks.

Abingdon United may have broken their goal drought against Stourport Swifts on Saturday, but they still went down 4-3 to the league’s basement club.

The result leaves Richie Bourne’s side still needing two points to be safe.

“We were a shambles,” admitted Bourne. “The players just didn’t perform.”

Abingdon were not helped by the fact that two players reported ill before the game, while skipper Ricky Allaway had to come off, still feeling the after-effects of a recent car crash.

Curtis Angell, with a spectacular shot from the edge of the penalty area, scored Abingdon’s first goal for 12 hours 22 minutes.

But much more serious for Abingdon is that they have not won for 15 games – since defeating derby rivals Didcot Town 3-0 on Boxing Day.

The only good news on the horizon for the Northcourt Road club, is that Didcot host the return match on Monday.

Before then, Abingdon are at home to Cinderford Town tomorrow.

Didcot visit Wimborne Town tomorrow.

TOMORROW’S SQUADS

North Leigh (v Yate Tn, away): from Warrell, Hole, Organ, Clark, Franklin, Caton, Sanders, Bowles, Williams, Osborne-Ricketts, Hopkins, Burnell, Reardon, Mills, Crudup, Merriman.

Abingdon Utd (v Cinderford, home): from Foster, Biddle, Angell, Allaway, Carnell, Evans, Kingsbeer, Parfitt, Collier, Packer, Young, Bird, Doyle, Christodoulou, Smith, Longford.