Lancaster City hoping to topple title favourites South Shields

The Dolly Blues take on the Mariners at Giant Axe hoping to inflict a defeat which could put a serious dent in the visitors’ promotion credentials.

The North East outfit – who are full-time and financially the big-hitters in the NPL Premier Division – find themselves in second spot in the table, four points behind leaders Buxton.

However, they have a game in hand and can go within a point of the Bucks with victory over City.

But they head west to Lancashire knowing that they are not in the best of form.

They have picked up just two points from their past three games and over the course of the past nine games have collected only 12 points out of a possible 27.

"It is a bit of free-hit against South Shields but they have been to Mickleover and Ashton United recently and got beaten,” Fell said.

"Based on those two results, why shouldn’t we think that we have a good opportunity?

"I think everybody raises their game against them. I think we will raise our game against them.

"We were unlucky not to get anything at their place earlier in the season.

"I know that we have got the tools to do the job, it’s whether we can implement them and also getting a little bit of the rub of the green."

The fixture could also see City hand a debut to 20-year-old defender Jack Byrne who has joined on loan from AFC Fylde.

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