Check out our previews and predictions of the weekends fixures in National Three North.
Blaydon v Kendal
Blaydon need to return to winning ways after a bad run of form which has seen them lose three on the bounce and four of their last five. Kendal have lost their last two league matches so something has to give here. When the sides met before Christmas at Mint Bridge it was the home side who took the points in a close encounter which they won late on.
A win for Kendal at Blaydon will see them go above the North East side in the league table although on the last visit to the North East they were thrashed by Darlington Mowden Park and will be looking to avoid a result like that.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by 10 points.
Disagree!! Have you say by clicking on the link below
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.allcategorythreads/categoryid/17.cfm
Darlington Mowden Park v Preston Grasshoppers
Darlington Mowden Park are one of the form sides in the division at present and go into this home fixture against Preston Grasshoppers with five successive wins behind them. They are up to fourth place in the league table and are within striking distance of New Brighton now and if they were to win here and Waterloo triumph at New Brighton they would be third.
Hoppers have had a very disappoint season so far and will hope the second half of the season is a big improvement on the first although this may not be the fixture to start a run of better results. When the sides met recently at Hoppers DMP were 35-28 winners in a high scoring affair.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by 14 points.
Disagree!! Have you say by clicking on the link below
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.allcategorythreads/categoryid/17.cfm
Fylde v Macclesfield
After a difficult start to the season Fylde find themselves going for a third consecutive league win with a home fixture against Macclesfield. A win for Fylde would put them within a point of Macclesfield in National Three North.
The Cheshire side have had an excellent start to the season and are doing better than the other two promoted sides at this stage of the season. They have slipped a little of late and have picked up just one win in their last four but that was at home to Fylde 26-23.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by less than 10 points.
Disagree!! Have you say by clicking on the link below
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.allcategorythreads/categoryid/17.cfm
Liverpool St Helens v Dudley Kingswinford
Liverpool St Helens could do with a win at home to Dudley Kingswinford as they do not want to be dragged into the relegation fight at the bottom of the league. Of late they have managed just on win in their last five matches They have done reasonable well at home with all nine of their points this season coming at Moss Lane.
Dudley have shown a little improvement of late and have won two fo their last three league matches including beating LSH at Heathbrook in a close encounter 18-17.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by less than 10 points.
Disagree!! Have you say by clicking on the link below
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.allcategorythreads/categoryid/17.cfm
Longton v Halifax
Halifax will be aware that they must not slip up and will be focused on victory especially with Waterloo having what could be a difficult fixture at New Brighton.
Longton will be hoping that the New Year brings glad tidings when they entertain leaders Halifax in the first game of 2004. Having gone down 58-23 at Halifax in early December, Longton will be looking for revenge but will be expect a tough challenge against an experienced Yorshire side with a smattering of ex-internationals and ex professional rugby league players.
The forwards will be near full strength but the backs are still short of a number of key players at full back and on the wing and as a result call on centres Gareth Townsend and Wayne Dicken to move out wide. Fly Half Rich McCartney will take a late fitness test on his knee.
1. Tim Wareham, 2. Craig Wilson, 3. John Brookes, 4. Nick Hunt, 5. Gareth Rawlings, 6. Dave Bennion, 7. Paul Sheldon, 8. Tim Wood, 9. James Gabriel, 10. Rich McCartney. 11. Wayne Dicken, 12 Simon Price, 13. Paul Green, 14. Gareth Townsend, 15. Tony Wheat
Subs: Scott Rawlings, Jason Randle, Dave Viles, Scott Rawlings.
Prediction: Away win by 14 points.
Disagree!! Have you say by clicking on the link below
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.allcategorythreads/categoryid/17.cfm
New Brighton v Waterloo
Big game of the day sees Waterloo travelling to New Brighton where last season they suffered a late season defeat to miss out on the chance of making the play offs and New Brighton did instead.
So far this season they are unbeaten and looking like title winners especially after beating Halifax just before Christmas but this is a dangerous game and not one they want to lose with a fixture pile up looming in the New Year as they are already three games behind leaders Halifax.
New Brighton will be keen to hang onto third place with Darlington Mowden Park breathing down their neck. Their form of late though has not been good with just one win in their last four matches and they have already been beaten at Blundellsands this season. It being a derby though anything could happen and Waterloo know they will need to be at their best otherwise a shock could be on the cards. .
Team news:
Prediction: Away win by 10 points.
Disagree!! Have you say by clicking on the link below
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.allcategorythreads/categoryid/17.cfm
Tynedale v Darlington
Darlington have done exceptional well of late and have put together a run of three wins and a draw in their last five matches to climb up to 11th in the league table. Tynedale on the other hand have not done so well of late and have slipped to four defeats in their last six matches to drop down to seventh place in the table and but for Darlington being deducted two points earlier in the season an away win would have been enough to see them move above Tynedale in the league table.
When the sides met recently at Blackwell Meadows it was Darlington who came out on top but away from home they have not shown the same form picking up just a point with a draw away at bottom side Longton.
Team news:
Prediction: Home win by 12 points.
Disagree!! Have you say by clicking on the link below
http://www.rfu.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/for.allcategorythreads/categoryid/17.cfm
|
