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Frank Northwood is the Kenny Dalglish of the Banks’s Premier Division. While other clubs struggle for players – Malvern Town couldn’t even raise a team for last Saturday’s reserve game at the Moat Ground – Northwood, just like his slightly more famous Anfield counterpart, has enough talent on his hands to field two title-chasing sides.
Such is the strength in depth of Northwood’s resources that the squad for tomorrow’s reserve game against Hintons includes no fewer than eight players who would be expected to appear on the first team sheet anywhere else – Karl Austin, Keith Williams, Brian Beresford, Martin McKenzie, Rob Philpott, Ian Early, Clive Arthur and Mark Bromley.Austin, back from his ill-fated Transatlantic bid to become a star of the American indoor six-a-side circus – the lack of a work permit wrecked those dreams – is waiting in the wings for the outcome of an appeal by current first choice keeper Bob Aston against a 56-day suspension imposed for his part in an alleged brawl after a FA Cup tie at Leek involving former club Eastwood Hanley.
Beresford – top scorer for the last two seasons – is just back on the comeback trail after suffering a serious eye injury in a pre-season game, having made his first appearance since then only last night in a friendly at the Moat.
And only injury and unavailability have prevented Philpott, Earley and Bromley from staking stronger first team claims.
Nonetheless, all have to wait their turns while Northwood’s chosen few travel north for a Derbyshire Senior Cup tie at Ilkeston tomorrow.
And there will be more than one or two who anxiously await the announcement of the team for that game.
Northwood has been increasingly disgruntled with his team’s defensive performances recently. He tried dropping Ray Skeemer and bringing in sweeper Nick Sales, but Rovers still looked leaky at the back on Tuesday as lowly Blakenall shocked Rovers with two goals in a minute.
So tomorrow it could be the turn of skipper Steve Dolby to make the long and lonely trek back to the substitute’s bench.
