WHITCHURCH Alport go into this weekend’s potential banana skin home game with Ashton Town still holding a three-point lead at the top of the North West Counties League First Division table. 

A late equaliser at Cheadle on Saturday cost the Yockings Park side a valuable two points – and they were left reeling with the news that player-manager Carl Everall could be set for a lengthy lay-off after fracturing two ribs during the first half in Cheshire. 

Goalkeeper Danny Read is unavailable for the weekend match, although Alport have moved quickly to land highly-rated Kidsgrove keeper Krystian Burzynski on a dual registration. 

Matty Ashbrook is still suspended and won’t be available until the St Helens away game at the end of the month, and it’s not known whether Oli Jepson will recover in time from a back problem that saw his withdrawal at half-time.

Joint manager Luke Goddard looks set to put his boots back on again after several months on the sidelines, and the 26-year-old knows how far the side have come when there’s disappointment from a hard-earned away point.

“I think a two-goal lead at any stage of that game would have been enough to complete the job but sadly we never had that luxury,” he said.

*For a full Alport round-up, see this week's Whitchurch Herald.