PICKERING Town play their biggest game of the season tomorrow when they visit leaders Cleethorpes Town in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League premier division.

The Pikes can go top-of-the-table if they win at the Bradley Community Stadium but defeat will leave Cleethorpes five points clear with a game in hand.

Paul Marshall’s side extended their unbeaten league run to 16 games last weekend with a 3-1 victory over Clipstone.

Cleethorpes, meanwhile, became the first NCEL side in five years to reach the last four of the FA Vase when beating Spartan South Midlands Football League side Southall.

They are now just one step away from a first ever trip to Wembley and have been drawn against Midland League division one club Bromsgrove Sporting in next month’s two-legged semi-final.

Pikes manager Paul Marshall will be hoping the FA Vase proves a “distraction” for Cleethorpes who have led the race for promotion for the majority of the season.

They are unbeaten at home and have won 10 of their last 12 league games but, significantly, they lost to both the Pikes and third-placed Bridlington during that sequence.

However, Cleethorpes joint-assistant-manager Dave Smith says promotion is his club’s priority.

“It’s back to business and we have another big challenge to overcome with promotion our number one aim,” he said. “It was a great day for the club (against Southall) and all credit to the players for taking another step towards making history for this club.

“Having the second leg of the semi-final at home is what we wanted – it was a good draw – but we now turn our attention to Saturday.”

Youth team coach Ray Green will be in temporary charge for Harrogate Railway Athletic's trip to Worksop Town after the shock resignation of player-manager Paul Beesley and assistant Liam Ormsby.

Beesley, 32, quit Scarborough Athletic to take over as Railway's player-manager in September following the resignation of Lee Ashworth.

He was in charge for just 25 league games - taking 31 points from a possible 75 - and quit in the wake of last weekend's 3-2 home defeat by bottom-of-the-table Barton Town Old Boys.

Railway are currently 17th in the NCEL premier division - 15 points clear of the relegation zone with 12 games still to play.

Chairman Rob Northfield said: "Both Paul and Liam are great guys. They’ve done a good job here and I would like to thank them for their efforts. We are now looking for a new manager with immediate effect."

Harrogate Town travel to Darlington 1883 in Vanarama National League North.

Just one defeat in eight league games since the turn of the year has kept Simon Weaver's men on the edge of the play-off race.

They will be without injured duo JP Pittman and Dominic Knowles tomorrow while loanees Kuda Muskwe and Callum Rzonca have returned to parent clubs Rotherham United and York City respectively.

Simon Ainge is back from injury but Peter Crook faces a late fitness test.