Eccleshill will have to pick themselves up for tomorrow night's Northern Counties East League fixture at Maltby Main after a crushing disappointment in midweek.

United asked for special permission to switch the Premier Division game but events have taken a turn for the worse since. They were due a free midweek prior to visiting Maltby but drew at home to Pickering Town last Saturday.

That forced a replay in the FA Vase, which Eccleshill lost 3-2 after an injury-time winner for the North Yorkshire outfit.

"It is not the ideal preparation for this game but there were a lot of pluses despite the disappointment on Tuesday," said Eagles spokesman and coach Paul Jarvis.

"Everyone thought extra time was a certainty but Pickering got the winner in the 93rd minute. The performance and effort was there but the result didn't come.

"It is a very important month for our season now. With the FA Vase gone the focus is firmly on the league and we have to get results going into the new year."

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