PICKERING Town manager Paul Marshall admits that it will now be “tough” to win promotion but is vowing to keep pressure on leaders Cleethorpes Town.

The Pikes dropped to third in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division table last weekend after failing to beat fourth-placed Thackley.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s home game with struggling Parkgate, Marshall said: “The league is Cleethorpes’ to lose now. We will keep on fighting but it’s a tough ask when you are 10 or 11 points behind.

“Both Bridlington Town and ourselves have got to try and catch them but, realistically, they are in a very strong position now.”

Draws against both Thackley and Bridlington this month have seen the Pikes losing further ground on Cleethorpes and the departure of striker Billy Logan to Scarborough Athletic was another significant setback.

Marshall believes the Pikes would have beaten Thackley last week if Logan had still been around and says his team are also missing injured trio Russ Parker, Nathan Kamara, and Ged Dalton.

“It was definitely two points dropped last weekend. We missed Billy and would probably have won the game if he had still been here,” said Marshall.

“Nathan (Achilles) has been out since Boxing Day, Ged is still getting over the broken rib he suffered nine weeks ago, and Russ Parker has been another big loss.

“We have been a bit depleted but we have what we have – and these are just things you have to deal with in non-League football.”

Both Kamara and Dalton, who has been used as a substitute in recent games, are likely to feature in the squad this weekend but Parker (ankle) is expected to be sidelined for another two or three weeks.

The Pikes will be boosted in midfield by the return of Eddy Birch from suspension and the availability of new signing Tom Claisse who was unavailable last weekend due to Royal Air Force commitments.

Former York City striker Ben Hirst, meanwhile, has agreed to play a bigger role after concentrating on setting up his own business during the first half of the season.

The Pikes were beaten 3-1 by Bridlington on Tuesday night in the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

Midfielder Nick Thompson put Pickering ahead on 54 minutes but goals from Chris Jenkinson and Jake Day (2) for Bridlington turned the game on its head.

Assistant-manager Liam Ormsby made his debut as a late substitute for Harrogate Railway Athletic in midweek after recovering from a broken leg.

Midfielder Ormsby, the son of former Leeds United defender Brendan, joined Railway on a temporary basis in October after suffering injury playing for Scarborough Athletic against Tadcaster Albion.

Railway, who visit Staveley Miners Welfare tomorrow, beat Glasshoughton Welfare 3-1 in the NCEL League Cup. They will visit Division One promotion chasers Hallam in the quarter-finals.

Manager Paul Beesley, meanwhile, is targeting a top-half finish in the league after winning four of the last five games.