Local football previews
Horden CW assistant manager Lee Bogan admitted his side are “still in pain” after their defeat at FC Hartlepool.
Horden are back on home soil this weekend as they look to move on from that reverse at Grayfields with a win against Darlington RA.
Jonny Payne’s side are still seen as favourites to lift the Wearside League title this season as they sit six points clear of second-placed Darlington Town.
And Bogan wants to ensure that they enhance their chances of becoming champions with a victory against the former Northern League club.
He told The Echo: “We are looking forward to getting back to our place on Saturday and the aim is to bounce back from last Saturday’s disappointing result.
“We are still in pain from that because we felt a lot of decisions went against us, but we won’t dwell on it.
“Results didn’t go our way last weekend, so we know that three points are a must against an RA side that always give us a good game, so we are under no illusions of the challenge ahead.”
David Doughty will return to the Horden squad but Paul Griffiths misses out as he serves the first game of a three-match ban for the red card he received after the fulltime whistle at Grayfields.
Second meets fourth at Eastbourne Sports Complex as Darlington Town entertain reigning champions Hebburn Town Reserves.
The visitors will travel with a depleted squad after Harry Munday, Dylan Nesbitt, Aron Burn and Shaun Carroll are all unavailable.
Boldon CA will hope to end FC Hartlepool’s seven-game unbeaten run when the two in-form sides meet at Boldon Colliery Welfare.
Farringdon Detached will have a new management team in place when they face Durham United at Leyburn Grove.
Ian Stewart has reverted to a position as the club secretary and Liam Lay has already been named as his successor.
Lay has wasted little time in getting to work after appointing Lewis Greaves as his successor and he has also signed Ben McDonald and Sean Robinson from Silksworth CW and Sunderland West End respectively.
Silksworth CW are without two key players as they prepare to travel to Gateshead Leam Rangers after Jamie Cole confirmed that Ewan Colling and Daley Clarke will both miss the game.