SELF-MOTIVATION will be at the core of any Pickering Town success at home to Barton Town Old Boys tomorrow.

Such has been the fast-freeze grip on the Pikes that they have been unable to train as a group – let alone feature in any Northern Counties East League premier division fixtures – for more than a fortnight.

So when Barton Town OB pull into the Recreation Ground tomorrow the fervent wish of Pikes boss Jimmy Reid is that his charges have done “their bit” in keeping themselves fit during the recent ice age.

“I’m just hoping they have all gone and done a bit on their own while we have been unable to train or play. We should certainly find out if they have or not come quarter-to five tomorrow,” he said.

Reid though was confident his men will be raring to go after the cold snap stalled what had been their most productive run of the season to claw clear of the NCEL top-flight relegation zone.

He added: “We were showing good signs before the enforced break with keeping a clean sheet and scoring a few more goals, so hopefully they will take up where we left off.”

His defence, which will be missing stalwart central linchpin Michael McNaughton because of work duties, will have to remain alert to snuff out the division’s current in-form marksman.

Since moving from Brighouse Town in the New Year, striker Tom Matthews has bagged five goals in his last six outings for the Barton brigade.

Pikes’ only absentee tomorrow will be youngster Russell Parker, who has been called up to the North Yorkshire Under-18s squad who play host to their Lincolnshire counterparts tomorrow, coincidentally at Barton Town’s Euronics ground.

While snow, ice and frost interrupted the Pikes’ surge of form, premier division rivals Tadcaster Albion believe the enforced absence will have been of significant benefit.

Ahead of tomorrow’s trip to ninth-placed Thackley, Albion manager Paul Marshall explained: “We’ve had some really good training sessions and we had a few players, who have been nursing knocks, getting a run in the reserves in midweek, so I think the break has done us a bit of good.

“It’s helped us to re-charge our batteries and hopefully that will get us back to the winning form we showed before January.”

Among the Albion ranks who figured for the second-string against Ossett Albion in midweek were former Grimsby front-man Tom Corner, who scored from the penalty spot, and one-time York City defender Nathan Kamara, who has just signed from Brighouse.

Said Marshall: “Tom’s got some minutes in and it’s good to have Nathan here who is trying to kick-start his career.

“Nathan gives us a very good option. He’s had about a year and half out with two cruciate knee injuries when he was playing for Farsley.

“He played against us recently for Brighouse and he did exceptionally well in a holding midfield role.

“He’s with us and glad to be back with a team close to his home in York and he just needs games now.”