It is set to be a huge weekend of football at Teesdale Park, with a massive top-of-the-table encounter taking centre stage on Sunday following a crucial league test on Saturday.
While Simon Kasonali and Craig Skelton’s men prepare to host Whitley Bay on Saturday (3pm kick-off) to kickstart a run of home fixtures, all eyes will then be fixed on Sunday’s showdown between Thornaby FC Women and league leaders Bradford City.
The stakes could not be higher for Curtis Collantine’s side. They welcome a rampant City outfit that has taken the North-East Regional Women’s League Premier by storm, winning ten out of ten matches so far.
The Bantams are currently the only side to have defeated Thornaby this campaign – inflicting a narrow loss back in early November – and they arrive on Teesside fresh off a dominant 7-0 victory over Sunderland West End. However, Thornaby are in fine form themselves.
A spirited performance at Alnwick Town last weekend saw Thornaby return with all three points.
Two goals from Sophie Curle and a strike from Nicki Gears ensured the win, a result that lifted the team above Alnwick and moved them to within a single point of second-placed Spennymoor, crucially with three matches in hand.
An 11-point gap currently separates Thornaby from the league leaders, Collantine’s side holds two games in hand over Bradford. A victory on Sunday is vital to keep their title hopes alive.
Collantine said: “This is without a doubt the most important game of our season so far against a side that has been flawless.
“We know the quality Bradford possess, but we have the belief we can get the result if we play to our potential.
“We need Teesdale Park to be a fortress this Sunday. I’m asking the fans to come down in big numbers, get behind the team and be that extra player for us. It’s going to be a battle, and your support could make all the difference.”
Before the women take the field, the men’s side returns to Teesdale Park on Saturday afternoon to face Whitley Bay.
This fixture marks the beginning of a pivotal run of six consecutive home games.
It promises to be a challenging period for the squad, who currently sit 16th in the Ebac Northern League Division One, with ambitions to disrupt the promotion battle by climbing up the table themselves.
Saturday sees Whitley Bay head down the A19 before dates with Guisborough Town, Carlisle City, Shildon and West Auckland follow. There is also a Northern League Cup tie against Boro Rangers pencilled in on Acklam Road for Tuesday, February 17.
With Whitley Bay, Guisborough and Shildon all sitting in the top five, and West Auckland and Carlisle City in the top half, points will be hard-earned.
The management team want to see positive results after a frustrating 3-2 defeat at Horden last Friday (and Tuesday’s trip to Newcastle Benfield postponed).
Thornaby took the lead twice before the break at Horden through Sonni Coleman and Alfie Conway. However, a Ben Henderson goal sandwiched between those efforts kept the hosts in it, before second-half finishes from Ben Riding and David Doughty clinched the points for Horden.
Kasonali admitted the result was a bitter pill to swallow but insisted the focus must now be on building momentum at home.
He said: “To be honest, we were left feeling both encouraged and frustrated after that Horden result.
“Compared to the Marske game, the first half at Horden was a big improvement, but it was still a frustrating outcome because we essentially gave the lead away with two mistakes.
“There were encouraging signs, but we are now hoping for a run of games to finally get us some momentum.
“It has been a bit stop-start recently because of the weather and conditions, but we need to put a run together now to climb away from danger.”
