NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE

MORPETH Town manager Craig Lynch has fired a warning to his players as they look to keep their season alive with a home win against Bamber Bridge on Saturday.

Last weekend’s 4-3 defeat at relegation candidates Atherton Collieries left the Highwaymen anchored in mid-table in the Premier Division, 17 points from the drop zone and 12 adrift of the play-off places.

Lynch was left visibly disappointed by the performance against the Colls and has urged his players to “bust a gut” to ensure they can still take something from the remaining 13 games of the campaign.

He told Highwaymen TV: “The mistakes are criminal and we are getting punished for it.

“It’s disappointing because at the start of the season the strikers were getting berated for missing chances and now we are on the flip side of being too easy to walk past.

“That’s not good enough for me and we need to go and have a look at it. We’ve got 13 games left, we don’t want the season to dwell out, we want to push on and I still want the 50-point mark.

“No-one can moan if they aren’t playing and if you are moaning you need to have a serious look at yourself. That’s the simple fact of where we are.

“You need to earn the right to play because there are people busting a gut for the team and people that aren’t.

“We need everyone pulling in the same direction and that’s what we are going to get in the 13 games or they won’t be playing.”

There was some good news for Lynch as captain Jeff Henderson returns from suspension to take his place in the squad for Saturday’s game.

Stockton Town will aim to hand another boost to their hopes of joining Morpeth in step three when the East Division leaders entertain Cleethorpes Town on Saturday.

Fellow promotion contenders Dunston UTS have a full squad available as they prepare to visit Carlton Town and Hebburn Town could hand another start to on-loan Hartlepool United youngster Leo Robinson when they host Brighouse Town.

Consett will be without striker Scott Fenwick for their visit to Stocksbridge Park Steels after he joined Australian side Altona East Phoenix and Nathan Buddle, Jordan Summerly and Charlie Exley have all been ruled out of Ashington’s trip to Grimsby Borough.

Newton Aycliffe could move to within two points of the play-off spots if they can take all three points from their visit to Winterton Rangers and results elsewhere go their way.