Day of celebration as he picks up top gong
SHELLEY KEEPER PAUL TO BE HANDED LEAGUE AWARD AHEAD OF GAME
PAUL DAY will be aiming to shut out Atherton Laburnum Rovers for the second time this season today – after becoming the first Shelley player to receive one of the Hallmark Security North West Counties League’s monthly awards.
League director Glyn Jones will be at the Stafflex Arena (3pm kick-off ) to present Day with the Reusch First Division North goalkeeper of the month gong for February, when he kept clean sheets against both Holker Old Boys and Chadderton to help his side pick up two wins and a draw from four games.
In total, Day has blanked the opposition seven times in 27 appearances in Shelley’s first season at step six of the non-league system.
The Chadderton match, which finished goalless, was four weeks ago, and the last time the Huddersfield team played because of two weekends without a scheduled future and the postponement of their game at Carlisle City, which will now take place on Good Friday.
“It’s been a while, and we’re all looking forward to getting back into it,” said manager Ash Berry.
“We were on a good run, unbeaten in three, and hopefully we will be able to pick up where we left off.
“We need three more points to reach 50, we have six matches to go in all, and we want to finish with a flourish.
“It was good to see Paul get some recognition, because we have had a few contenders for the monthly awards without any of them actually winning one.”
While Shelley have fallen to ninth during their period of inactivity, Atherton are bottom with only two wins to their credit and in grave danger of relegation. It’s been a season of turmoil for Rovers, who are in the shadow of neighbours Atherton Collieries, who are chasing promotion from the Northern Premier League West Division to the top flight.
Financial difficulties led to a suspension from the NWC League for a spell in January, and they haven’t won in 11 outings, losing nine times in that sequence, including the last seven games in succession.
Dan Keane and Matty Waller scored when Shelley won 2-0 at Rovers back in October.
Berry’s side are chasing a fifth double of the season after those against AFC Blackpool, Daisy Hill, Holker and Prestwich Heys.
We need three more points to reach 50 and we want to finish
with a flourish