Matlock Town are away at Radcliffe on Tuesday evening in the NPL Premier Division and could go top of the table if they win and South Shields's result doesn't go their way.
The Gladiators are looking to make it nine wins from their first 11 league games of the 2021/22 campaign despite a severely depleted squad for much of the campaign so far.
The Opposition
Radcliffe currently occupy 18th position in the NPL Premier Division table and sit just ahead of the relegation zone. In their most recent game, Radcliffe snatched a point away at Gainsborough Trinity. Robert Grant scored an 89th minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw in the league. In their most recent home game, Radcliffe were beaten comfortably 4-0 by league leaders and title favourites South Shields.
Radcliffe are affectionately known as The Boro and play their home games at the Neuven Stadium in the Radcliffe area of Greater Manchester. The stadium can hold up to 3,500 spectators and has a seated capacity of 350.
Their manager is former Coventry City, Wrexham and Wales U21 player Lee Fowler. Remarkably, Fowler played for a total of 21 different clubs over the course of his playing career. Fowler has previously managed Nuneaton Borough and Ilkeston Town before becoming Radcliffe's manager in February last year.
The Boro were formed back in 1949. Their most recent trophy was the Northern Premier League Division One play-offs back in the 2018-19 campaign.
Former notable players for Radcliffe include the likes of Alan Kennedy, Frank Worthington and Craig Dawson.
One to Watch
French striker Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro will be a key player to look out for in Tuesday's game.
The 36 year-old veteran has played for the likes of Toulouse, Grimsby Town, Tranmere Rovers and Shrewsbury Town earlier in his career.
Akpa Akpro was part of the Shrewsbury Town side that won promotion to League One in the 2014-15 season. The forward also spent a brief amount of time playing for Masfut, a second-tier side in The United Arab Emirates.
Team News
On the injury front, Jerome Greaves will still be out for quite some time while he recovers from a torn hamstring. Jamie Sharman remains unavailable due to personal reasons.
Ross Hannah now looks to be fully fit after coming on as a second half substitute in Matlock Town's most recent match.
Second choice goalkeeper Paul Cooper has joined New Mills on a dual registration basis.
Previous Meeting
Matlock Town last played Radcliffe on February 4 at the Proctor Cars Stadium during the ill-fated 2019/20 season.
The Gladiators won the game convincingly and is notable for being Paul Phillips's first ever victory as Matlock Town's manager.
Nathan Valentine, Piteu Crouz, James Tague and Brian Wilson scored the goals in an emphatic victory watched by a crowd of 297.
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