Toolstation NCEL Division One
Ian Walker expects an exciting Friday night contest between old foes Nostell Miners Welfare and Glasshoughton Welfare at Crofton Community Centre.
Nostell and Glasshoughton will face off in the latest Friday night instalment in the NCEL and Walker envisages a competitive encounter.
“I can’t wait,” Walker told Non League Yorkshire.
“It is not just because it is a local derby but there’s so many friendships there, so many competitive friendships.
“We have Lewis Stephens and Adam Hayton who used to play for us playing against us.
“Nathan Perks plays for us and he was there.
“There is a few lads playing for both sides who grew up playing against each other.
“We played (Glasshoughton) in a pre-season tournament and we played good football against them and looked fairly comfortable.
“But they’ve changed and I’ve seen them a couple of times and they have great desire and they are a side who will give their manager absolutely everything.
“If our lads don’t give me absolutely everything we’ll lose.
“It is going to be a great game on a Friday so it would be nice to see a big crowd.
“These Friday night games and the crowds we can get are so invaluable because we can’t match the North Ferriby’s and Hallam’s (crowds) week-in-week-out.”
Nostell are seventh after 16 games – four points off the top five.
But despite their lofty heights, the last five weeks have been tricky as injuries have decimated them.
The win at Worsbrough Bridge was their first league victory in five.
“It has been a frustrating period but you only have to look at the team-sheets to see why it has been a frustrating,” Walker said.
“The biggest frustration for me is that in the first ten games I think our front six had scored 36 goals between them.
“In the last five games (prior to the Worsbrough game) our front six had scored one between them.
“I think you can see where the problems have been.
“Over the last few weeks we have missing players and it has been unsettled.
“We haven’t had the ‘keeper (Lloyd Allinson), we haven’t had a settled back four, we haven’t had a settled midfield.
“If you have your best side (on the field) in this league you have a chance (of winning), if you have a couple missing you stand a chance but if you have four or five missing, not many sides other than the top ones can cope with that.”
Nostell had set off like an express train at the beginning of the campaign and did top the table early doors – helped by a stylish brand of football.
The play-offs remain a very realistic target for them but to reach them Walker concedes his side may need to abandon their playing principles.
“I think if we play winter football we have got more chance (of reaching the top five) than if we play summer football if that makes sense,” he said.
“Away from home particularly we have to grind some points out and hope at home we can turn it on a bit more.”