By a quirk of the fixture list, tomorrow’s programme sees S&B take on Michael Farrell’s side while Leigh entertain Wallasey. The two games offer a delicious prospect – but only for those who support none of the four sides.
“Realistically it’s a game we have to win but Highfield absolutely must win it,” said Firth. “You’d imagine that a victory would get us out of the bottom two although that’s not certain. We just have to bat properly but I have been saying that for weeks now.
“To be honest I just didn’t think about the game earlier in the week and even on Tuesday I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if I won the toss.”
However, a degree of nervous excitement is by no means confined to the Competition’s top tier. In the First Division Rainford need just 21 points to confirm their promotion to the Premier League but they have testing matches at Wigan and at home to Northop Hall ahead of them.
By contrast, Maghull play Liverpool, who are certainly relegated, and St Helens Town, who require something of a miracle to stay up.
However, even that situation is straightforward when compared to the scrap to decide who is promoted with Burscough from the Second Division.
Favourites are probably Orrell Red Triangle, who lead a pack of five clubs covered by 23 points and who visit Birkenhead St Mary’s tomorrow before hosting Hightown St Mary’s in eight days’ time.
But should ORT slip up, Spring View have only two points to make up, although they conclude their fixtures against Burscough and fifth-placed Alder, which can hardly be regarded as an easy run-in.
While Old Xaverians and Wavertree may also have a say in the matter, those clubs’ fate is not in their own hands. All they can do is win.......and hope.
NB. Northern’s ECB Premier League home match against New Brighton has been brought forward to this Sunday to allow the Moor Park side time to prepare for, and travel to, their Royal London Club Championship Final against Blackheath at Beckenham a week on Sunday. This game will be extensively previewed in next week’s ECHO.
