Now sides with sizable squads may well feel equipped to pull off such a feat, for example Liverpool competing in the Club World Cup at the same time as the FA Cup on opposite sides of the globe... but Step 3 Trinity, one of the counties top performing sides this season, with at best an eighteen man squad, including a quintet of loans, are expected to stump up a fine, or field two sides and be competitive. And that's what Trinity will do, calling in the highly successful Under 21s.

The youngsters will be led by Youth Team Manager, Brad Wright and his team of coaches, while Neal Bishop and Darryn Stamp look to mastermind a return to winning ways in a tricky looking test at 21st place, Liversedge.

Liversedge FC Since the Boxing Day postponement, Liversedge have been busy, shrewdly recruiting, including the acquisition of Danny Ellis, the former Guiseley centre back, linking up with his former Lions team mate, and former Trinity forward, Nicky Walker. Trinity are set to face Walker for a third time this season, on Tuesday night. The much travelled winger having appeared for Whitby and Guiseley so far this campaign since initially leaving the 'Sedge in the summer.

The Boxing Day game at Liversedge was called off forty minutes before kick off, much to the disappointment of a sizeable travelling Trinity contingent, thanks to rainfall an hour or so before kick off. Following a dry couple of days, hopefully conditions at Quaker Lane are favourable, for the Holy Blues to return to winning ways.

21st placed Sedge are locked on 17 points with bottom club Belper Town, but have as many as six games in hand on some of the sides around them at the foot of the Pitching In Northern Premier League table. Winning only once in eleven home games, Liversedge beat Guiseley back in November, but the home support haven’t had much to cheer this season, beaten in their ten other league games.

Jonathan Rimmington’s men have fared better away from home, picking up 14 of their 17 points on their travels, beating Whitby, Belper and Matlock and Nantwich Town away from home, and taking points off Bamber Bridge and Lancaster City. It’s fair to say, whoever Bish and Stampy select to go into battle, Sedge should not be under-estimated!

Grantham Town

Trinity’s young guns are full of confidence, as many prepare to make their ‘first team’ bow, Josh Fraiwald and Tristian Drummond are two Under 21s to have minutes in competitive games this season, while a number of others benefited from minutes during pre-season. All taking this experience in their stride and putting in a number of impressive performances in the Worksop Van Hire North Midlands Development League, where they lead the way after ten games.

Looking to take a positive view of things, Brad Wright, taking charge of the Grantham game enthused, "We’re really looking forward to the game, it’s a great opportunity for myself, the staff and the players to come up against Step 4 men’s opposition. We won’t get much time with the players before the game, but we will outline what we want from them in the tie and to take everything from the last few games and sessions, and go in full of confidence."

Brad’s side come into the game off the back of a 9-0 victory, away from home, last time out, with Fraiwald netting four, Kyle Simpson netting a brace and strikes from Ewan Dobson, Harvey Rodgers and Archie Oliver-Townrow. Impressive indeed, following a lengthy lay-off over the Christmas period, due to a lack of playable fixtures. Wright continued, "We have plenty of talented young players from Gainsborough and I’d back them to put a performance in against anyone. It will be a tough test, especially with it being our first of two games in the space of 48 hours, but anything can happen in football – and we’ll see what the result is at the full time whistle."

Fixtures

In fixture news, our home fixture against Marine has been given a new date. We now welcome Marine to the Dave Longstaff Martin and Co Arena on Tuesday 21st March 2023, with a 7.45pm kick off.

Elsewhere

Bottom versus top lock horns in a banana skin for Hyde United as they take on basement side Belper Town. South Shields welcome Curtis Woodhouse's Marske United. And Saturday's victors, Stalybridge welcome Radcliffe to Bower Fold looking to extend their seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions. And seeing them pick up points against three of the top five.

Belper Town vs Hyde United
South Shields vs Marske United
Stalybridge Celtic vs Radcliffe

Preview written by Rob Hughes (@AATM_Media)