NPL Match Preview: South Shields vs Nantwich Town

South Shields kick-off an Easter weekend double-header on Saturday when they welcome Nantwich Town to 1st Cloud Arena (3pm kick-off).

In what could be a defining three days in the Pitching In Northern Premier League season, the Mariners follow up their meeting with Nantwich by travelling to Whitby Town on Monday.

They go into the weekend sitting top of the Pitching In Northern Premier League, six points ahead of second-placed Bamber Bridge with four games remaining.

Nantwich have won three of their last four matches under manager Paul Carden as they battle to avoid relegation. They are only inside the bottom four on goal difference.

The reverse fixture between the sides, which was held in August, was won 1-0 by a Michael Woods goal for the Mariners.

Shields are looking to bounce back after losing to a late goal at Bamber Bridge last Saturday.

Manager's views

Mariners manager Kevin Phillips feels his team are in good shape after a strong few days on the training field.

He said: “We’ve had a good week of preparation.

“We’re a wounded animal and I guarantee the players will be bang up for the game.

“I’m sure we’ll play a lot better than we did last Saturday, but Nantwich are scrapping for their lives and certainly won’t roll over for us.

“We’re the home team and our record there has been excellent this season, and we need to take that into this game.”

Nantwich have been in impressive form since former Warrington Town boss Carden was appointed manager in February, and they boast the best defensive record in the bottom half of the division.

Phillips is concentrating on the efforts of his side as they aim to secure a crucial three points.

He added: “Setbacks happen in football and our destiny is in our hands.

“We’ve got four games to go and we’re not relying on other people, which is a major positive for us.

“We’ve definitely got enough quality to have a positive weekend and that’s what we’ll be giving it everything to do.”

Team news

Shields are without midfielder Michael Woods, who is set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Captain Blair Adams returns to contention, as does Conor Newton, who has been out since December due to personal reasons.

Information for supporters

Kick-off at 1st Cloud Arena is at 3pm and the turnstiles will open at 12.30pm.

Supporters can pay for entry at the turnstiles, with tickets priced at £12 for adults, £9 for students and over-65s, £5 for children aged 13 to 16, and £3 for children aged 12 and under. There is an additional £2 charge for a seat and no segregation is in place at this fixture.

Tickets can be purchased in advance until 12pm on Saturday by clicking here.

Although this is not an all-ticket match, supporters are strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to help ease queuing on matchday.

Supporters can pay at the turnstiles. Turnstile 2 will accept cash, with all other turnstiles to accept card only. If any supporter would like to upgrade to a seat on matchday, they can do so for a £2 charge at the hut next to turnstile 1 and 2.

The club also again reminds supporters that the possession and use of pyrotechnics and smoke bombs is strictly prohibited. Further information is available by clicking here.

A match programme, packed with content, is available to purchase for £3 and also acts as a raffle ticket, with one lucky programme holder to win four tickets for our game against Warrington Town on April 15th. Check the back of your programme for your lucky number, with the winner to be drawn at half-time.