DINO Maamria reckons he can follow one Northwich Vics rescue with another.
The club was hauled from the brink of extinction in 2007 by the intervention of a consortium and it will require an equally dramatic team effort to save the team from relegation in 2008.
Vics go to Rushden & Diamonds on Saturday and then host relegation rivals Altrincham in the New Year’s Day return derby.
They were at Moss Lane on Boxing Day. Suspended absentees Josh Wilson and Natt Kerr will return at the weekend.
Subject to coming through the first meeting unscathed, Vics’ only fitness doubts surround Michael Welch (ankle) and Lee Steele (hamstring).
Maamria remains convinced Vics can escape the drop. He said so when he took over while they looked a lost cause and he continues to be more optimistic now they are only seven points behind the safety spot, 20th, occupied by Farsley Celtic.
Vics won only 10 points from their first 22 games and so need 40 from the next 24 to hit the 50 points target needed for survival.
Witton Albion go into 2008 as UniBond League leaders and record breakers.
Thanks to an all-time best unbeaten run of 20 games they are so far ahead of main rivals Fleetwood even a sudden change of form won’t immediately effect their grip on the league.
Albion are at home to Buxton on Saturday and travel to Eastwood Town on New Year’s Day.
Their opponents are fifth and sixth respectively with play-off aspirations at least.
Mark Peers, for many Albion’s best player so far this season, returns after a three-match ban to face Buxton.
Winsford United are ready to make a promotion push in 2008.
The Blues are seventh, but only five points off the pace set by leaders Trafford and manager Joe Gibiliru believes the New Year could well be a happy one.
He said: “I didn’t just rebuild a side, it was a big transformation for the club. It is going fine and I am satisfied.
“We are in a much harder standard and the supporters now realise that and are behind me and the team.
“At the moment I’m not planning on changing anything, unless something better than we already have comes along and that does not look likely.”
United have doubts over attacker Lee Madin (ankle) and full-back Tony Sayer (knee) for Saturday’s home match against Flixton.
Gibiliru’s confidence was not dented by the 2-2 home draw with Ramsbottom, when Dave Hanlon – hero of United’s promotion campaign last season – scored for the visitors.
“He’s good and I wish he’d have stayed, but we kept him quiet in the second half. A draw was fair and after our comeback I was not too disappointed with a point,” added the manager.
