Friday night football could fix you up an early groundhopping treat as an added bonus to this weekend’s action as Ollerton Town host Retford FC in the Northern Counties East League Division One tonight.

The game at the Fast Frame kicks off at 7:45pm and features a home side 14^th in the league with Retford currently going strong in 8^th.

Without a game since the 9^th November when Ollerton’s match with North Ferriby was abandoned late on you have to go back to the 29^th October when the town last completed a fixture beaten at home against Albion Sports 2-0 whilst Retford fresh from a win last Saturday by the same scoreline against Swallownest know a win could take them up as high as third place overnight.

Retford Manager Chris Woodhead said of the sides recent form “It’s been such a tough time of late and the results haven’t been great but we keep working hard.”

“I have questioned myself over the last few weeks. Was I making the right decisions?… Did we approach games in the correct manner? We had a lot of injuries granted, but I will not let that be an excuse.”

“We have a few new faces but the core from the Central Midlands League Champions squad are still here. We believe in this group of players.”

On the Ollerton game Woodhead stated “It Should attract a very decent crowd being a derby. We have played Ollerton in the past and I’m a big admirer of the way they have held their own in the NCEL since promotion from the Central Midlands league. They are a very good side and a team who can beat anyone in the league when they are at it. We know how hard it will be but we will go there and try and cause an upset”

Also in the Northern Counties East League this weekend AFC Mansfield of the Premier Division go to Albion Sports on Saturday hoping that a win can pull the Bulls out of the bottom three.

Mansfield are unbeaten in four league and cup games but have drew their last two which included handing late equalisers to top of the table Penistone Church before replicating their frailties defensively against Silsden next weekend. AFC will be looking however towards the positives of their recent form but face an Albion side also unbeaten in four.

*Main image @ollertontown_fc The Town line up ahead of their abandoned match against North Ferriby.