Thornaby FC will spend this week gearing up for a weekend when both the men’s and women’s teams look to bounce back.
Thornaby will be in Ebac Northern League Division One action at home for the second Saturday in a row, when Birtley head to Teesdale Park.
The Blues will be desperate to record a positive result following last Saturday’s frustrating 2-1 defeat to Kendal Town.
Thornaby did well to quickly cancel out Josh Winder’s 12th-minute opener for Kendal when impressive debutant Sonni Coleman struck from the penalty spot just a few minutes later.
However, James Bailey’s 64th-minute winner was enough to inflict defeat. Despite the setback, the team has climbed to 15th place since the appointment of joint managers Craig Skelton and Simon Kasonali.
Skelton is keen to see a sharp reaction from his squad against Birtley, who currently sit just one place and one point above Thornaby after securing a draw against Whitley Bay.
Joint Manager Craig Skelton said: “We know last week’s result wasn’t good enough, but we’ve seen real character and fight in this squad since we came in.
“The lads have been working tirelessly, and we’re desperate to put things right on Saturday. We’ve had a few new faces settle in, and their energy is infectious.
“We would love to see some new fans through the gates, so come down to Teesdale Park, make some noise, and help us get the three points we deserve!”
The Thornaby Women’s team faces a North Riding County Cup fixture this weekend as they travel to take on Northallerton.
The women enjoyed a free weekend to recover following their 3-0 defeat at Bradford City at the start of the month.
That result sees the team currently sitting third in the North East Regional Women’s League Premier Division, trailing only Bradford City and Spennymoor Town.
Northallerton sit mid-table in the North Riding League and will be looking to recover from a heavy 5-1 defeat at league leaders Wigginton Grasshoppers on Sunday.
Andy Campbell, caretaker boss of the women’s team and the club’s Director of Football, stressed the importance of returning to winning ways ahead of their league return next week at Ossett United.
He said: “That loss to Bradford City was disappointing, but we lost to a very good side that is pushing hard at the top of the table.
“We’ve had time to reset, and now we need to show our quality in the County Cup. This is a chance for the team to return to our winning ways, regain momentum, and secure our place in the next round.
“The focus is on a strong performance and demonstrating the quality of football we know we can play.”
Tickets for this Saturday’s game are priced at £7 for adults, £4 concessions and £2 for u16s.
