Hebburn Town are preparing for their home game with Northern Premier League rivals Stockton Town on Bank Holiday Monday.

Hebburn Town have been challenged to ‘prove people wrong’ as they prepare for a nerve-shredding final month of the season.

The Hornets are sitting at the top of the Northern Premier League Premier Division ahead of the potentially pivotal Easter weekend - but they will be forced to play a watching brief as they are without a fixture on Saturday afternoon. Daniel Moore’s men were originally scheduled to face Widnes - but the Cheshire-based club folded ahead of the season and their fixtures were erased from the records. Hebburn’s inaction could allow title rivals FC United of Manchester and Hednesford Town to take charge in the race for promotion as they prepare for respective meetings with Whitby Town and Prescot Cables on Good Friday.

Olly Martin scores during Hebburn Town's 4-1 home win against Lancaster City (photo Tyler Lopes) | Tyler Lopes

placeholder image — Olly Martin scores during Hebburn Town's 4-1 home win against Lancaster City (photo Tyler Lopes) | Tyler Lopes

Intriguingly, FC United and Hednesford will face off on Bank Holiday Monday at the same time as Hebburn’s home game with play-off contenders Stockton Town in what already feels like a monumental day in the battle to secure the only and only automatic promotion place in the division. Ahead of the weekend, Hornets boss Moore has stressed his side are close to reaching their seasonal goal and urged his players to maintain their determination to prove doubters wrong over the coming weeks.

He told The Gazette: “Everyone speaks about FC United and Hednesford for the last couple of months and over the season to be honest with you - but we’ve always had that mentality of going to prove people wrong from the minute I came to the club. The start of the season and the way things went back end of last season, prediction-wise, everyone had us in the bottom three - and rightly so.

“You can understand that but what people won’t see is the underlying factors of why we fell off a cliff last season, the injuries and suspensions. We sat at the start of the season and I’m not going to say what we thought we could do - but we are not far off doing it. We are just enjoying it, there is no pressure on us.”

The Hornets will prepare to visit Cleethorpes Town next weekend once their Bank Holiday Monday home clash with Stockton is consigned to the history books.

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