Lancaster City set for busy Easter weekend

Lancaster City will play two league games against promotion-chasing sides in 48 hours over the Easter weekend.

Both of the teams City will face are currently in the NPL Premier Division playoff places with just over two weeks of the season proper remaining.

The Dollies will host fifth-placed Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday (April 8) before travelling to Bamber Bridge, their Lancashire rivals who are second in the table, on Easter Monday (April 10).

It will be a tough weekend for Mark Fell’s side, with Gainsborough having the joint best away record in the league and Bamber Bridge having the best home record in the league.

Both their opponents have been in great form of late. Gainsborough have only lost once in 11 games and ‘Brig’ have been steadily moving up the table all season – in recent weeks, especially at home, they have got some crucial results including a 2-1 victory over league leaders South Shields last Saturday.

Gainsborough Trinity are fifth in the league and are likely to be battling with Hyde United in sixth and Marine in seventh for that very position right until the end of the season.

In the reverse fixture in August, Lancaster City left Lincolnshire as 2-0 victors.

Bamber Bridge visit FC United of Manchester before hosting Lancaster on Easter Monday, they will be looking to make it four straight wins.

They will also be aiming to maintain their current position in the league ahead of Warrington Town in third and Radcliffe in fourth, who are two and three points behind respectively with better goal differences and the same number of games played.

The previous Lancashire derby between these sides this season saw a late equaliser from David Norris on Boxing Day.

Lancaster are currently 10th in the NPL Premier Division on 52 points after a 1-1 draw against Liversedge on Tuesday night. Should the Dollies get five points or more from their remaining four games, they will have bettered their points tally of 56 from the last campaign.

Assistant manager Graham Lancashire said: “It’s going to be a tough one – Gainsborough are great away from home this season, which is the complete opposite of last season.

"They’re obviously still in and around the playoffs and looking to get more points and stay up there.

“I don’t like saying it’s a free hit (for Lancaster) because we want to get as high as we can in the league this year and finish higher than we did last year.”

Lancaster City v Gainsborough Trinity kicks off at the Giant Axe on Saturday (April 8) at 3pm.

Bamber Bridge v Lancaster City kicks off at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium on Easter Monday (April 10) at 3pm.