By Brian Bennett

Ashington interim manager Marc Ellison – whilst knowing the importance of Saturday’s away clash against Brighouse – stressed that the players and management at the Woodhorn Lane club are trying to treat the contest as ‘just another game.’

The Colliers will secure their status in the Northern Premier League’s East Division if they collect three points at the Heffernan Utilities Stadium and ahead of a final training session last night, Ellison said: “It’s hard to come away from the fact that it’s our biggest 90 minutes of the season. We know that if we get the win then we’re mathematically safe but to be honest, we’re trying to treat it as just another game. It’s in our hands.”

Ashington will be spurred on by around 100 supporters who are making the trip to West Yorkshire by various modes of transport and Ellison is convinced they can play a vital role: “Having a good representation from the fans will make a difference that’s for sure,” he added, “Since Karl Ross and I came in as interim managers, the team have been a lot better at home than we have away – and that’s probably down to the encouragement from the supporters. At this level you don’t often see a really healthy away backing so fair play to them. I’m sure the lads will be buzzing when they see the support and the more volume our fans can give them, the better.”