PICKERING Town manager Denny Ingram has called on his team to “stamp their authority” on this weekend’s home game against Stamford.

The Pikes, looking forward to building on the previous weekend’s win at Gresley, were denied a trip to Evo-Stik League east division leaders Morpeth Town last Saturday by the weather.

But they have the chance to get some momentum going this Saturday (3pm) against their mid-table visitors before travelling on Tuesday to Pontefract Collieries, who came up from the Northern Counties East League premier division along with the Pikes last season.

Danny Earl opened his goalscoring account for Pickering in the 2-1 win over Gresley, netting the winner as Town came back from a goal down to claim a valuable three points and move out of the relegation zone, up to 16th.

Ingram - eyeing back-to-back wins for the first time since taking the reins last month, and the first time for the team this year - said: “We’ll go into the match nice and positive looking to stamp our authority on the game.

“If we produce what we’re capable of, we’re a match for any team in this league.”

Pickering took a goalless draw away from Stamford in the reverse fixture. In their last eight games, the Daniels have scored 12 and conceded 14, betraying a defensive record Ingram would hope to capitalise on.

“It is certainly something we’re looking to do,” he said. “When we played Stamford earlier in the season, we matched them. Now, with more quality and experience, there’s no reason we can’t go on and get three points.

“What the stats back up is they look sharp going forward but there are areas at the back we feel we can exploit with more pace and cause problems.

“We look more solid in the centre of the park and we can really stamp our authority on the game.

“Since I took over, the performances have been there but with that extra bit of quality and luck we’ll have more than enough.”

Meanwhile, Selby Town suffered shoot-out anguish again in midweek as they were knocked out of the NCEL Cup quarter-finals by Swallownest.

It was the second time this season they had exited a cup competition on penalties, having been KO'd from the FA Cup in similar fashion by Kendal Town in September.

The Robins were not at their best and, although a late Liam Flanagan goal took them to extra time, cancelling out Nathan Morritt's first-half strike, they failed to land the killer blow against the tiring 10-man visitors, who had Dan White sent off for a professional foul on Gary Collier in the first half of additional play.

Swallownest won 4-2 in the shoot-out.

The Robins travel to Rossington Main in NCEL division one on Tuesday.

In the premier division, Knaresborough Town host Handsworth Parramore on Saturday while Harrogate Railway meet Liversedge at Station View.

Play-off hopefuls Harrogate Town travel to Barrow in the National League.