Birkenhead Park is must-win game for Bees (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Birkenhead Park is must-win game for Bees

4:40pm Thursday 21st March 2013 in Sport By Bill Marshall, T&A Sports Reporter

Bradford & Bingley have the most critical game in their SSE National League Three North season on Saturday.

The Bees, who are fourth from bottom, are at home to Birkenhead Park, who lie one place below them in the third and last relegation berth.

Park are 12 points adrift of the hosts but have a game in hand, and Bees skipper Guy Ford said with a degree of understatement: “It is quite an important game - if we don’t win it that might be it.

“We have been lucky in the past few seasons not to pick up injuries but that hasn’t been the case this campaign and we have had to blood a lot of lads who were second-teamers last season.”

As for the visitors, Ford says: “It will be tough as they are always difficult opponents and last week’s match (a 29-5 defeat at Harrogate) took a lot out of us.

“They are good in the forwards and might try and take us on there but on the other hand they have a couple of decent centres.”

Bradford & Bingley are hoping that Ben Greaves recovers from a shoulder injury to play at centre - he was rated 50-50 today - while Tom Bills needs to overcome a tweaked hamstring.

Ford added: “Tom can play at full back, centre or fly half - in fact he played in all three positions last week!”