Non-league previews: New striker key to Shifnal Town's surge

Shifnal put themselves in the thick of the title race with a statement 3-0 win against leaders Lichfield City last weekend - and backed that up by beating OJM Black Country 3-2 in midweek.

That put Town level on points with second-placed Brocton, and only a point behind Lichfield - with Phillips, who only joined the club a month ago, bagging a brace against City and a hat-trick against OJM.

Manager Connor Patterson said: “I don't think we've lost a game since Isaac’s come in, so I imagine it kind of speaks for itself in terms of his stats: assists and goals. He gives us a completely different dimension.”

Patterson added that the margin of victory against Lichfield could have been far heavier than 3-0.

“We’ve come away at half-time and if it was 4-0 or 5-0, I don't think anyone could have batted an eyelid because, you know, it wasn't a total dominant performance," he said. “But in terms of clear-cut chances, I think we missed three one-on-ones in the first half, so I said to the lads at half-time I said ‘Look, don't be going, living with any regret. Don't let it bite you in the a***'.

“And they came out second-half, we went 1-0 up from an absolutely brilliant strike from Kyle Bennett, and then Lichfield were just throwing everything at it then and they were very open.

“We knew we’d have more opportunities to come and we just waited for opportunities. We hit them on the counter and we went and put a couple more past them.”

AFC Bridgnorth are at home to Ingles in Midland One, where manager Jack Griffiths will have to field a changed side after a physical game against Allexton & New Parks left him with several absences.

He said: “We've moved up a place, took a point, but really, we should have taken all three.

“It's, in a way their way of playing football. We've got mainly young lads, they’ve thought that they could bully us and they did come to the end of the game.

“I've got to stick up for my lads. They got fed up of being kicked. They got fed up of everything that was going against them: the referee laughing at them, telling them to grow up, and we were fighting a losing battle.”

Market Drayton Town are without captain Nicholas Woods against Eccleshall in the North West Counties Division One South after his sending off during their weekend loss to Cammell Laird 1907.

Allscott Heath are away at Cheadle Heath Nomads, while at the bottom of the table Shawbury United are visitors to Stockport Georgians.

Ludlow Town are away at Newent Town, who currently sit bottom of the Hellenic League Division One.

Whitchurch Alport are in the FA Vase third round away at fellow step five side Lincoln United.