VAUXHALL Motors face a make-or-break weekend in their battle to avoid relegation to the UniBond Premier.
Motors manager Carl Macauley says Saturday’s fixture away to fellow Blue Square North strugglers Gloucester City (3pm) is a “must-win” game.
Gloucester lie just outside the relegation zone and are three points ahead of Motors, although like many teams in the bottom half they have played several fewer games than the Motormen.
Defeat for Motors would mean they would have only seven games remaining to escape the drop zone.
Macauley said: “It’s going to be tough. We can only do our best in the remaining games and try and get the results. The players have got to go out there and perform, and the Gloucester match is a must-win.”
One factor which will go in the Motormen’s favour is the plight of Farsley Celtic, who were disbanded yesterday (Wednesday).
Celtic, who were 16th in the table, had been charged by the Conference with failing to fulfil three league fixtures, and it was expected they would have been thrown out of the league with their results for the season expunged.
After the club’s administrators rejected offers from a consortium, the plug was pulled and the result is only two clubs will be relegated of the 23 remaining in the league.
Motors chairman Alan Bartlam said: “No-one wants to see football clubs go under, but there is no doubt this would assist us in retaining our status in Blue Square North.”
A valuable asset the Motors squad can rely on in their relegation dogfight is top-scorer and skipper Josh Wilson, who has signed a contract with the club through to the end of next season.
Motors’ survival chances were dealt a blow on Saturday as they lost 4-1 at Corby Town, after on-loan striker Josh Macauley had opened the scoring.
