If you can cast your mind back to January, it was a referee’s key that lead to a rather late postponement for the clash between Chester-le-Street United and Newcastle Blue Star and with the weekend weather being the best in a while, there should be no need to go to Timpsons on Tuesday.
Which means the two outfits will once again be preparing to take to the field at Riverside and a look at the Northern League Division Two table would suggest that both the hosts and the visitors need a win for differing reasons.
For the hosts it is a case of putting further daylight between themselves and the bottom three and with a decent run of form being cultivated in these past few weeks, the relegation zone is now starting to disappear in their rearview mirror.
While for the visitors there is a sense that any hopes of winning this season’s league crown may have finally disappeared for good and after slipping up at FC Hartlepool on Friday by two goals to one, Marc Nash’s men have now slipped back down the table.
Defeat for Blue Star on Friday, followed by victory for Bedlington Terriers less than 24 hours. A combination of results that now means the Scotswood outfit are positioned in third before their return trip to County Durham.
A position that although does not offer too much difference in terms of the final league table, still offers enough to be coveted. If you finish second, you are guaranteed a home play-off semi-final and the opportunity to host the final should you make that progress.
Finish third and although you get that same reward at the semi-final, if you are not the highest ranked team in the final, you will be on the road. Therefore, there is still plenty to play for before now and the final game of the season in just under a month.
Friday night’s conditions were bitterly cold in Hartlepool and Blue Star’s performance was not much warmer either. They need a confidence boosting win when their own confidence may just be sapping. However, a lot can change in 90 minutes and hopefully Wednesday offers change for the better.
Something which sets up this clash rather nicely indeed. A big thanks to Chester-le-Street United for the upcoming hospitality and for those attending from an away perspective, safe travels both there and back.