SILSDEN need a home win against sixth-placed Bootle to have any chance of lifting themselves out of the North West Counties League Premier Division drop zone on Saturday6.

The Merseysiders could go third should they win but they have been in indifferent form.

The Cobbydalers are two points from safety at the moment and, although they have games in hand on their relegation rivals, they are averaging less than a point per game.

Silsden earned a point from a rare outing last Saturday with a 2-2 draw at Ashton Athletic in what was their first league game since the turn of the year.

Spokesman Jim Rosser said: “It’s been stop-start and we had a few players missing, such as Charlie Collinge and Joe Mitchell.

“But we had a new player – Andrew Spencer, a Burnley lad – who did well, and Kyle Hancock played his second game on loan from Farsley.

"He spreads the ball about really well, so, all in all, it was very positive but the weather might intervene again this weekend.”