PICKERING Town will be hoping number one Harry Andrews will be fit to return for tomorrow's visit of Barton Town.

Andrews was an unused substitute in last Saturday's 3-2 loss to Northern Counties East League premier division promotion rivals AFC Mansfield as he recovers from a shoulder problem.

Young loanee Charlie Andrew has been between the sticks for the last two games while on "work experience" from Hull City, but the Pikes have picked up only one point in that time and, while no blame for the dip in form has landed at the teenager's feet, manager Paul Marshall has indicated the return of Andrews would give the team extra experience.

Pickering in all have won only twice in the last six league outings to slip from first to fourth, although both those victories have been whoppers, 9-2 against Harrogate Railway and 6-2 at Athersley Recreation.

The struggling Rail, meanwhile, will need to stop that defensive rot if they are to get out of the drop zone.

They have shipped a staggering 66 goals in 17 league games at an average of nearly four per match, and since the start of October their sequence of goals conceded is five, three, four, six, four, 10, nine, three and six. They go to mid-table Albion Sports tomorrow.

Knaresborough Town take a break from their promotion push in NCEL division one as they visit North Shields in the FA Vase second round.

Boro beat Glasshoughton 2-0 in midweek, thanks to second-half goals by Tom Hesketh and Blaine Hobson, to extend their lead at the top of the table to eight points.

Meanwhile, in Evo-Stik League division one north, promotion-chasing Scarborough Athletic go to sixth-placed Prescot Cables.