Selby Town boss Bob Lyon will try to steady the ship against lowly Buxton tomorrow after watching his side fall off the pace for the Northern Counties East premier division title.

Back-to-back defeats against Pickering and Bridlington has left Lyon determined to get Selby back on track on their own ground.

"In theory it should be an easy tie, but we are having a case of the wobbles at the moment," he said.

"But in the league at home we've played five, won four and drawn one so we should win tomorrow.

"At the start of the season I said we needed to average two points a game by winning our home matches and drawing away. We are slightly behind that now so we could definitely do with a win."

Fortunately, Lyon has the luxury of welcoming back a number of key players, with Mark Turner, Nigel Croad, Ian Philips, Craig Code, John Carter and Chris Prior all returning.

Paul Marshall has warned his Harrogate Railway players their FA Cup exploits will count for nothing if they slip up in the NCEL premier division or the FA Vase.

The Railwaymen entertain Sheffield just seven days after their heartbreaking cup exit to Conference giants Morecambe - a goal four minutes in injury time settling the tie 3-2 - and Marshall wants his players to bounce straight back.

"The lads should be proud of how far they came, but this will all count for little if they don't perform in the league or even the FA Vase," he said. "We've made our money and had our 15 minutes of fame, but now it is back to the bread and butter of the league.

"Sheffield is a big game. We need points in the bag as we've slipped behind in the table and we need to see what reaction we'll get after the cup defeat as this is the first of four big games we've got coming up."

Railway follow tomorrow's tie with a trip to Glapwell on Tuesday, an FA Vase clash at West Auckland Town and the visit of Goole on November 12.

Marshall is set to stick with the same squad which performed so well against Morecambe.

Pickering Town know they will not face an easy ride at bottom club Liversedge.

Title-chasing Pikes will welcome back five key players who missed the 2-0 President's Cup defeat by Hallam, but on Liversedge's sloping Clayborn pitch chairman Tony Dunning admits anything could happen.

"It is not the easiest of places to go," he said. "Obviously they are bottom of the league, and are there for a reason, but we can't just go there expecting to win.

"It is a long time since we lost on our travels though so I think will do well."

Joe Connor, Phil O'Reilly, Stefan Zoll, Matthew Morton and Gavin Dickinson all return for Pickering.

Goole AFC will be keen to get their premier division season back underway when they entertain fellow strugglers Glasshoughton.

There will be a vital NCEL division one six-pointer at Skinner Lane, where Tadcaster Albion aim to claw up the table against Pontefract Collieries.

Albion, plagued by inconsistency this season, go into the game knowing victory would push them clear of the battle at the bottom. Wayne Day's men will be buoyed by their encouraging 2-1 victory over Mickleover Sports last weekend.

After losing their grip on the West Yorkshire League Cup, Nestl Rowntree have the ideal opportunity to return to winning ways at home to Bardsey in the premier division.

Nestl put seven past the struggling West Yorkshire outfit earlier in the season.

Assistant-boss Jon Reynolds said: "I don't think Bardsey are as bad as that 7-0 score-line suggests. They will come to us looking for revenge."

Martin Cowl (broken hand) and Rob Ellis (ligament damage) are both out, but new signing Roger Osborn, a midfielder from Punch Bowl, is expected to play.

Struggling York RI visit Ossett Common Rovers in WYL division one.

Updated: 12:41 Friday, November 02, 2001