By Brian Bennett

Friday night football comes to Woodhorn Lane this week when Ashington take on Newton Aycliffe in the East Division of the Pitching In Northern Premier League (October 31).

And Colliers boss Nick Gray is hoping the fixture will attract a good crowd through the turnstiles: “We want to start to entertain our home supporters so that they’ll come back,” he said, “The reason we are playing Friday night is twofold. The only way supporters are going to return is if they see an attractive entertaining game whilst it also allows us the opportunity to give the lads the weekend off. It’s a good weekend if you get a positive result – but it’s a long weekend if you don’t.”

He continued: “We’ll dust ourselves down after today (at Grimsby Borough) and train during the week but football is a funny old game. Thursday’s defeat in the Newcastle Flooring Northumberland Senior Cup hit everyone at the club hard – players, staff and supporters alike and then at Grimsby there were a lot more positives than negatives. It’s a very competitive league. You look at results and everyone can beat everyone and you’ve just got to work on the consistency because the teams who get the most points are the ones who are consistent – it’s not rocket science.”

Friday’s match has a 7.45pm kick-off.