“WE’VE just got to go and win,” insisted Pickering Town manager Paul Marshall ahead of his side’s Northern Counties East League premier clash with 17th-placed Staveley Miners Welfare.

After the Pikes’ 7-0 demolition of Garforth Town last week at Mill Lane, Marshall seems keen to build on the form that has seen them take maximum points from their last three league games, scoring 14 times in the process and moving up to second in the table.

Tomorrow, Pickering come up against a lowly Staveley side managed by experienced Brett Marshall (no relation) whose former successes and experience the Pikes’ boss recognises, but is not unduly fazed by.

Instead, he reiterated his ambitious conviction that Pickering just need to keep ploughing on and picking up wins if they are to achieve promotion.

He said: “Marshall’s been around the block. He has plenty of experience and knows the ins and outs of this division. His Retford United side won it (the NCEL premier) when I was at Tadcaster.

“We’ve just got to go and win. If we get through February unscathed, we should be looking good.”

The Pikes are going well on that front so far, with their only league slip-up this year coming a month ago at home to Maltby Main – since then, they have claimed nine points from nine and have been boosted by their squad’s return to full strength.

Talismanic striker Ryan Blott has also been in good form since coming back from suspension, netting four times in the past two games and becoming the first player in both Northern Counties East League divisions this season to hit 30 league goals.

The only absences from the game against Garforth Town last week were Ryan Cooper and Ged Dalton, who both missed out with strains, and winger Russ Parker who is moving indefinitely to Australia at the weekend.

Marshall said: “I’d just like to thank Russ for all his efforts with us; he’s been a gem to work with. I wish him all the best.

“(The Garforth performance) was a bit more like it. We dominated the game from start to finish for possibly the first time this season.

“The scale of the win was a bit surprising, but we got the early goals and they knocked the stuffing out of them. After that, it looked like men against boys.”

Next Tuesday (February 13), Pickering visit promotion rivals Pontefract Collieries in the third round of the NCEL League Cup.

Marshall is not putting any extra emphasis on the cup, nor is he touting it as a distraction from the league, saying: “It’s just another game for us. We’re going to try and win the game, maybe give some of our subs and lads on the bench who have been biding their time a chance.”

Second-bottom Harrogate Railway Athletic tomorrow face a potential six-pointer as they travel to Barton Town, who sit one place and one point above.

After division one Selby Town’s West Riding County Cup semi-final heroics midweek at Tadcaster Albion, they return to league duties tomorrow with a trip to AFC Emley.

Leaders Knaresborough Town tomorrow visit Ollerton Town, who have won three of their last four. Knaresborough have dropped just two points from their last eight fixtures.

National League North title-contenders Harrogate Town were dumped out of the FA Trophy third round by Isthmian League premier leaders Billericay Town, losing 3-2 in the replay.

Tomorrow they return to the league with a visit to 17th-placed Leamington.