Marshall ponders strike force as Tadcaster Albion take on high-flying Scarborough Athletic (From Gazette & Herald)

Marshall ponders strike force as Tadcaster Albion take on high-flying Scarborough Athletic

10:51am Friday 19th October 2012 in Sport By Steve Carroll, Sports reporter

SELECTION headaches could be enough to see Tadcaster Albion manager Paul Marshall reach for the painkillers.

His resurgent side, unbeaten in their last seven Northern Counties East League premier division encounters, face a test of their good form when they entertain second-placed Scarborough Athletic at Ings Lane tomorrow.

The Brewers put six past Hall Road Rangers in midweek with Danny Gray picking up a late brace.

Marshall had initially left him, and fellow forwards Stuart Rice and Callum Ward, on the bench as his men ran riot, and he says the victory has left him with some tough decisions to make about who will lead his attack against the league high-fliers.

“This is the benchmark for us playing Scarborough but they have slipped up a bit recently,” he said. “Thackley and Pickering beat them and I know they leak goals. We have scored in every game this season.

“We’ve got some good attacking players – an abundance of forwards – and we have got six forwards fighting for three places. I am trying to keep everyone happy and I am thinking, ‘Saturday, who do I play?’ “I think the FA Cup run gave us a lot of confidence and we have just improved as a squad. It is very strong.”

Pickering Town kept their first clean sheet of the season on Wednesday night, and boss Jimmy Reid believes his side are now moving in the right direction ahead of their NCEL premier division match against Liversedge.

Liam Salt got the crucial midweek goal that secured the Pikes a 1-0 win at Maltby Main and saw the club extend their winning run to three games.

Victory at Mill Lane on Saturday will push them above their opponents in the table and Reid is hoping his squad have turned the corner following a difficult start to the season.

“He had an injury last year,” the manager said of Salt.

“He’s flying this season, he’s working hard and is a tough man to mark. He puts a shift in every weekend and he’s been awesome over the last seven or eight weeks.

“There’s a better feeling about the place now. We’ve brought some new players in. Maltby Main has always been a tough place to go. Although we have had a difficult start, we’ve played a lot of good teams and we gave one or two players too many chances.

“We are going in the right direction and I am looking for us to push on to the FA Vase.”

Jamal Shahin gave Selby Town a point against Eccleshill United last Saturday but it was back down to earth for the Robins when they crashed 3-0 to Hallam at Flaxley Road in midweek. Now locked at the bottom of the table with Appleby Frodingham, who have played one game fewer, a tough trip to Knaresborough is the next hurdle to be negotiated.

Elsewhere, Harrogate Town are in FA Cup fourth round qualifying action at Hyde, while Harrogate Railway host Burscough in the Evo-Stik first division north.