By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner has said that the pressure is on opponents Glossop North End when the two sides meet in the inter step play off clash in Derbyshire on Saturday.

Glossop finished third from bottom of the Northern Premier League West Division and Skinner said: “It’ll be a decent drive down on the coach in what is a one off game where anything can happen. We’ll prepare properly; we’ll go down there and hopefully give a good account of ourselves. However, it’s a one of those situations where the pressure is on them. They play at a higher level than us but we will look at the fact that we’ve won a lot of football matches this season whilst they will not have won too many – that’s why they are in the position they are in – and we’ll try and use that to our advantage.”

He continued: “As for my group of players – I question them; I challenge them; I sometimes get after them and it’s just because I personally feel that we are the best team in the league. However, I also believe that at the end of the season the table doesn’t lie and it says we are the second best team in the league to Newton Aycliffe. They went on a fantastic run and won 20, drew one and lost one of their last 22 games so fair play to them and they were are worthy champions.”

He went on: “I’m delighted that we’ve still got a shot at promotion. The players have rested up a little bit this week – but we’ll be doing some homework on our opponents with one game of our season to go.”

Meanwhile Ashington’s Paul Robinson and Kyle Hayes have already faced Glossop. Robinson was in the triumphant Whitley Bay side that beat the Peakites 2-0 in the 2009 FA Vase final at Wembley. The midfielder also played in a pre season friendly for the coast outfit against Glossop three years later – on the same day as goalkeeper Hayes played as an outfield player!