TONY HACKWORTH will return for Pickering Town as they face the sternest test of their fine form against high-flying Barton Town Old Boys tomorrow.

The Pikes brought up a century of goals with their 4-2 win at Staveley Miners Welfare and are on a run of results that has seen them rise to fifth in the Northern Counties East League premier division.

Barton, though, are battling it out with Tadcaster Albion at the summit and have won four and drawn one of their last five games ahead of their visit to the Recreation Ground.

Pikes manager Mitch Cook is a fan.

“When you look at Barton, they have had stability at the club and a lot of their players have been there for three, four and five years,” he said.

“They are getting their rewards for that and you always want to test yourself against the best in the league.

“We will need to play well and need them, perhaps, not to play as well. We might need a bit of luck and we want to play well and create chances.”

As well as Hackworth, Cook should be able to call on James Patterson who came off against Staveley with an eye injury.

With a team in that match comprising four teenagers and four other players aged 21 against the Miners, the Mill Lane manager is also confident the future is bright if his young men can continue to produce.

“We played well. When you look down the team we didn’t have Hackworth and the centre-half was 27. Everyone else was under 24,” Cook added.

“They are young but they have got the experience to play at this level. They are a credit to the club and the under-19s have won their league so we will be pushing them through as well.

“They have to continue to progress and earn the right to get in the team and stay there.”

Tadcaster Albion boss Paul Marshall believes Worksop Parramore are one of the best teams in the premier division.

His top of the table side entertain a Worksop outfit in 12th but with ten games in hand.

“We absolutely mugged them in October,” Marshall told the club’s website.

“We were losing 1-0 after they got a soft penalty. But in the last ten minutes Carl Stewart scored a magnificent overhead kick followed by a great goal into the bottom corner, which was virtually the last kick of the game, and we ended up coming away 2-1 winners.

“Worksop are without doubt one of the best teams in the league. They have got a lot of games in hand, and are another potential league winner if they don’t get fatigued. Once again, we need to be at the top of our game to beat them.”