The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Spalding United welcome one of their chief relegation rivals to the Sir Halley Stewart Playing Field on Saturday.
Stocksbridge Park Steels, who are just a point clear of the 18th-placed Tulips in 15th, picked up a crucial 3-2 success over basement side Gresley on Tuesday night.
The race for survival is likely to go to the wire this season, with just four points separating AFC Mansfield in 14th and rock-bottom Gresley.
Spalding’s director of football Bob Don-Duncan admits that the clash is a real six-pointer.
He said: “We knew with how the fixtures panned out – tough away games at Morpeth and Tadcaster, then a free weekend, that there was a real chance we’d be on the same points tally we were a month ago.
“That’s the reality we’re facing and other teams battling with us have been picking up points.
“Every side up to 14th place is in this battle and there’s no real way of telling how it will go.
“We’ve got seven games left, four at home and three away, so the home games look vital now.
“We felt like a few wins would be enough a few weeks ago, but it’s too tight to call.
“Obviously Stocksbridge is a huge game, a real six-pointer. We scraped a draw at their place earlier in the season and you sometimes have to realise that not losing these kind of games is the most important thing.
“The spirit in the camp is still high and we’ll go into the match looking for three points.”
Spalding are boosted by the return of Rudy Misambo and James Cullingworth, while Jenk Acar came through Tuesday night’s 6-2 win for the under-21 side.
