HARROGATE Town head for Cheshire with manager John Reed imploring his charges to draw a line under a run of dispiriting share-alls.

Town's Nationwide North campaign takes them to Altrincham tomorrow after a Bank Holiday brace in which they were lodged in parity against both Hinckley and Vauxhall Motors.

Those draws left Town with a six-game start in which they have only been beaten once. But that was not good enough for Reed, who ideally wanted at least double the points haul from the Bank Holiday one-two than the point a game tally which his under-achievers collected.

Said Reed: "Before the start of the season I suppose we would have taken being beaten just once. But they were below-par performances against Hinckley and certainly in the first half against Vauxhall Motors, where we were awful.

"It makes it important now for us to get a win at Altrincham because that would give us a good platform for two home games in the space of four days after that.

"That's the thing with this league. There's no respite and you have to be up for it all the time. You've got to be in people's faces and have the right temperament week in, week out."

For the trip to Altrincham's Moss Lane stronghold Reed was hoping ex-York City striker James Turley had recovered from the thigh injury which ruled him out of the 1-1 draw at home to anchor club Vauxhall.

"James is a big player for us," ventured the Town boss. "There's not many who can do such a good job for us out wide as him and I am eager that he recovers in time to play."

Simply playing will be the motivation for Tadcaster Albion, who are poised to make their long-awaited Northern Counties East League first division bow against Worsbrough Bridge under the new management of Jim Collis.

While all their rivals have figured at least once in the league arena, Tadcaster are still awaiting their first start after their opener was wiped out by a water-logged pitch and then they played in the FA Cup qualifying round last week.

Declared Collis: "I can't wait for the league term to get started. Then, I'll at last get to see how the team is going to shape up. We've got a lot of new players and it will take about a month to judge how we might fare, but I'm very excited at the prospect of the season."

Collis' optimism was heightened after a midweek friendly against Harrogate Town with his young Albion ranks leading their more experienced hosts 2-0 with goals from wide-men Dave Watson and Matty Howgate.

Explained Collis: "We matched Harrogate for quite a spell and we only eventually lost 3-2 because I made five or six substitutions to give players a run-out. But now the time for experimenting has stopped.

"I'm probably about two or three players short to make us a very good side, but we are a decent side as it is now."

Collis was even encouraged by last week's 5-2 FA Cup exit against a visiting Fleetwood Town team from several leagues higher. "When we were 4-2 down we were on top and had them rattled until they broke away and got a decisive fifth goal."

The only blot on Albion's opening NCEL outlook was the loss of Paul James. The midfielder, who can also play at centre-back, broke three bones in his foot during a Sunday outing. He will be out for at least six weeks.

The Tadcaster squad (meet 2pm, kick-off 3pm): Ryder, Jones, Pitts, Forrest, Crester, Watson, Battersby, Wordsworth, Howgate, Jackson, Cygan, Fishwick, Keogh, Hunter, Cammidge.

The loss of Albion's opening league game at Ings Lane against Carlton a fortnight ago created history.

It was the first time in the NCEL that a game has fallen foul of the weather on the first day of the season.

Updated: 10:14 Friday, September 03, 2004