Seaham Red Star growing in confidence in relegation battle as Sunderland West End boss calls for focus

Seaham Red Star are increasingly confident they can preserve their Division One status as they look to continue their upturn in form with a win at Kendal Town on Saturday.

An Adam Burnicle brace helped Red Star to a 2-1 home win against Marske United last weekend and ensured his side have now collected points in all but two of their last eight league games. That run of form, coupled with results elsewhere, has meant things have tightened up in the relegation race in the Northern League’s top tier. Red Star could actually move out of the relegation zone with a win in Cumbria as fellow strugglers West Allotment Celtic are not in league action until the final weekend of the month.

Ahead of the trip to Kendal, Red Star assistant manager Michael Johnson gave an insight into the confidence enveloping their squad as they look to continue their push for safety.

He told The Echo: “It was just three points but we are heading in the right direction. We were fantastic last weekend, it was a brilliant performance and a brilliant three points for us. We are looking up now and not looking down. We will get ourselves out of this, there’s no denying that. We are on the way up and we have to keep doing what we are doing.”

Red Star travel to Cumbria with the injured Arran Wearmouth, Harvey Fletcher, Josh Crews, Mark Robinson and Tom Archibald.

There are four Friday night fixtures in the top tier and Red Star will be paying particular attention to fellow strugglers Birtley Town and Whickham as they face West Auckland Town and Newcastle Benfield respectively. The title race is the focus of the other two games as leaders Redcar Athletic host Northallerton Town and third placed Blyth Town travel to bottom of the table Tow Law Town. There are two other games on Saturday afternoon as Boro Rangers look to tighten their grip on a play-off spot with a win at Crook Town and Guisborough Town entertain Marske United at the KGV Stadium.

West End boss calls for focus ahead of Grangetown test

Sunderland West End manager Steve Cockrill has urged his players to focus on themselves as they look to claim maximum points from games against sides at the wrong end of the table.

West End will host relegation threatened Grangetown Boys Club on Saturday before travelling to a Washington side that are all but condemned to the drop into the Wearside League after winning just two of their 37 league games this season. Cockrill has stressed his players can not look at their opponents plight if they want to continue a run of just one defeat in their last nine games.

He told The Echo: “We know that we have games that are winnable but you have treat each opposition the same. You look at Grangetown’s result against Prudhoe, they’re fighting and they’re a good club, it’s been a difficult season for them and they will scrap. Washington are the same, nothing has gone right for them and I don’t know what will happen with them. We just have to look after ourselves and we know we have exceeded our targets for the season because my first target was to improve on last season and stabilise.

"We are closing in on 60 points and that is excellent, it’s been an excellent season and that’s credit to the boys and the committee within the club have been excellent too. Now we have to finish it off on a positive.”

There are a whole host of games on Friday night and there is a potentially pivotal clash in the title race as leaders Horden CW host second placed Yarm and Eaglescliffe. Jarrow will aim to keep alive their feint title hopes with a win in their home clash with Bedlington Terriers and bottom of the table Washington visit Chester-le-Street Town. Sunderland RCA travel to Esh Winning, Alnwick Town host Prudhoe YC and Teesside rivals Billingham Town and Thornaby meet at Bedford Terrace.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Boldon CA have several absentees for their visit to Darlington Town, Billingham Synthonia entertain Redcar Town and FC Hartlepool head to Essity Park to take on Newcastle University.

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